The Light Within
by miana.ko
Summary: Sixteen years ago, a newborn girl was kidnapped from the Domino City Hospital. Raised as the daughter of her kidnapper, Ayame Hirata finds her life turned upside down when her "mother" is arrested on another charge. Left alone and stripped of her identity, she moves to Domino City to rebuild herself and her life. Little did she know, her life was about to get more complicated.
1. Fountain Wishes

The wind blew gently through the light pink cherry blossoms and red maple leaves, rustling them to create a melodic sound that soothed Sumiko Hara's troubled mind, even if ever so slightly. It was rare for cherry blossoms to bloom in the autumn. She felt fortunate to be able to live in one of the few cities to have that specific breed of cherry blossom. Her admiration of the foliage was soon consumed by the thoughts running through her head. She clutched her purse closer to her body as anxiety tensed her muscles. She closed her brown eyes and inhaled the cool autumn air. 'In through the nose,' She guided herself mentally, 'Out through the mouth."

"Mommy! Mommy! Can we have our coins now?"

Pulled out of her trance, Sumiko looked down into the blue eyes of her daughter. Her face radiated a bright and innocent happiness. Sumiko's anxiety lessened its grip on her muscles as a sense of adoration flowed through her. She reached into her purse and pulled out two rolls of one-yen coins. Her daughter jumped up and down and reached out her hands toward the coins.

Sumiko let out a small laugh and lowered her hand to allow her daughter to grab the rolls. "You and Ryuji have fun, Ayame," She said with a smile. "I'll be on the bench right here."

Ayame nodded her head excitedly as she gave a roll of coins to her less hyper friend, Ryuji. She grabbed his hand and immediately began pulling him toward the crane fountain. "Come on, Ryuji, before the fountain runs out of wishes!"

"It can run out of wishes?!" Ryuji gasped.

They ran as quick as their five-year-old legs would take them. Sumiko smiled as she watched her daughter's brown hair set into pigtails bounced up and down with every step. She had her raven-haired friend's hand firmly in her grasp with him holding hers just as tight. Sumiko vaguely heard them chatter about wish faeries as they approached the crane fountain. They unwrapped their coins and began to eagerly throw them into the fountain, at least five at a time.

Sumiko sat down on a wooden bench close to where she was standing. She pulled out a simple blue notebook and a black pen. She opened it to a blank page in the middle of the book. With the click of her pen, she began to write:

 _My dearest Ayame,_

 _Today marks five years since you've been in my life. It has gone by so fast, hasn't it? We're here at your favorite park with your best friend Ryuji from kindergarten. For your birthday, you asked me for two hundred one yen coin rolls for you and Ryuji to throw into the crane fountain. You said that it was important that your's and Ryuji's wishes came true, and that the more coins you throw, the more likely that wish would come true._

 _Little do you know, I have a wish too._

"Mommy!" Ayame cried as she ran to her mother. The closer she got, Sumiko could see the tears begging at her eyes. Ayame tried to wipe them before she got to her mother, but the wiping made them fall more. She stopped in front of Sumiko still wiping her eyes.

Sumiko put down her pen and moved her daughter's arm from her face. She looked into her puffy pink eyes with sympathy. The blues seemed to radiate brighter against the new hue. Sumiko smiled and wiped her daughter's face with her dry hand. "What's wrong, dear?"

Ayame sniffled, trying to compose herself enough to form words. The words struggled to escape her throat. Ryuji soon appeared behind her with tears in his eyes as well. He did better at holding them at bay than her poor daughter.

"Aya dropped all her coins in the fountain! The birds attacked her!" Ryuji cried loudly while still keeping his tears within his eyes.

Sumiko stifled a laugh, which helped Ayame to find her voice. "It's not funny!" She screamed, "I didn't get to make my wish!"

Sumiko composed herself and shook her head slightly as if telling herself that she needed better self-control when communicating with her daughter. She reached into her purse and pulled out her coin pouch. She fished out two one-hundred yen coins. Her daughter's eyes lit up at the sight of the larger silver coins. "These are all the coins I have left, but they are both worth one-hundred yen. One coin has a hundred wishes in it."

Ayame grabbed both coins. A toothy grin returned to her tear-stained face. "A hundred wishes in one coin?! Cool!" She took one coin and handed it back to her mother. "You should make a wish too!"

Sumiko smiled and waved her hand in front of her face. "No, Ayame, those are for you. It's your birthday gift."

Ayame grabbed her hand and placed the coin in it. "I want to give you one for my birthday! You have a wish too, don't you?"

Sumiko looked at the coin in her hand, then back into the determined eyes of her daughter. Ayame loved her so much, as most five-year-olds typically do of their parents. Guilt settled ever so slightly within the raven-haired woman. For how long will she be maintaining this facade? As quickly as the guilt surfaced, it was swept back to the recess of Sumiko's mind. She smiled and gripped the coin in her hand.

"Thank you, Ayame. I'm very blessed that you're such a generous soul."

Ayame's face dropped slightly. "I'm a what?"

Sumiko laughed softly as she cupped her daughter's face with her free hand. "A very kind person. I'm a lucky mother."

Ayame laughed, pleased with what her mother said. "I just love you, Mommy!" She turned to grab Ryuji's hand and once again pulled him to the crane fountain. Ryuji yelped as he tripped over his feet. He yelled at her to stop dragging him, only to be rebutted with something along the lines of him being too slow. They made it to the edge of the fountain to continue throwing in the coins.

Sumiko looked on solemnly as she continued to pen her letter.

 _My wish is that you will forgive me._

Sumiko's hand froze after ending the sentence. The guilt she hid once again crept back into the forefront of her already buzzing mind. She tried to will the pen to write what has been begging to come out, but her mind would not allow it. She looked back up to the children playing by the crane fountain. Her daughter was giving her friend a tight hug, with the recipient trying to wiggle his way out. His bright green eyes seemed to bulge from his head as he struggled to break free. Sumiko stifled a second laugh, only for it to be cut short by that same creeping guilt.

"In through the nose," She guided herself quietly. "Out through the mouth."

She placed the pen back to the paper as the words flowed through the ink.

 _As much as I love you, you are not mine. As much as I love you, you will never truly be my daughter. My reasoning for bringing you into my life was selfish. My decision was made with a broken heart, and in doing so, I broke the heart of the innocent woman who gave you life. I do not regret what I did, and for that I could be called evil. However, this evil heart is full of genuine love for you, and it always will be._

A single tear fell from Sumiko's brown eyes, unbeknownst to her until the droplet splashed off the paper. Sumiko quickly wiped away all other falling tears and those begging to fall from her eyes with her forearm, similar to what her daughter did not too long before.

"Goodness," She said quietly to herself. "I'm crying."

Gathering what little resolve she had left, she took the pen to the paper again.

 _As temporary as it will be, I have enjoyed these moments of bliss. You have blessed me more than I deserve. I hope that, when this facade crumbles, you will still be able to see the life we shared as a beautiful one that was full of unconditional love._

She looked up to the sound of running footsteps only to see both her daughter and her friend completely soaked. Her eyes widened in confusion as to how it happened.

Both children stopped in front of her laughing loudly. Sumiko's confused face turned to that of disapproval. "May I ask how you both got wet?"

The laughing stopped immediately. The two children looked at each other as if looking for the other to give the right answer. They both looked back at Sumiko with scared faces. The story was probably funny, but Sumiko maintained her serious facade. She was particular about how to address all situations pertaining to her daughter. She felt that her reactions would determine Ayame's future decision making.

"Well?"

"Well…" Ayame started as she nervously rubbed her shoe's sole into the ground.

"Aunt Saki, it was my fault!" Ryuji yelled out, catching both Sumiko's and Ayame's attention. He started trembling as he gathered up every ounce of strength in his body. "I was throwing my coins… and I slipped on the water on the ground…"

Ayame started sniffling, guilt written all over her face.

"I grabbed her hand and… and…"

"He only slipped because I was splashing him with water! That's why the ground was wet! It was my fault, Mommy…"

Sumiko looked sympathetically at the children. She weakly smiled, but was filled with a sense of pride at the fact that the children, especially her daughter, were telling the truth and taking responsibility for their actions. She glanced back down to her letter. _This is more than I deserve._

"It's okay, children," She said with a sincere smile. "Thank you for telling me the truth. That was very big of both of you."

Ayame sniffled. "You're… you're not mad?"

Sumiko shook her head. "No, dear, I'm not."

Ayame continued to sniffle as she wiped her face. Ryuji looked to his feet feeling ashamed. She closed her book on her pen to save the page and laid both it and her purse on the bench. She walked up to the two children and bent down to their level. She placed a hand on Ryuji's shoulder causing him to flinch, a reaction he developed to prepare for punishments… not that Sumiko knew about that. She smiled at him and nodded. "I'm especially proud of you, Ryuji. Thank you for defending Ayame. You're a good friend."

Ryuji's chest puffed out slightly in pride. "She's my best friend!"

Sumiko maintained her smile, "I know."

She stood back up and clapped her hands together. "Okay, you two, time to leave. We still have dinner to prepare and a cake to pick up."

"Make your wish first, Mommy!" Ayame exclaimed.

Sumiko nodded as she fished the coin out of her purse. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

The two children nodded and took their seats on the bench Sumiko sat on for the duration of their visit. Sumiko picked up her purse and notebook and walked over to the fountain. She looked back to see the children trying to wring the excess water from their shirts. Smiling, she turned her attention back to the fountain. She closed her eyes and made her wish.

"I wish for you to one day forgive me," She whispered to herself as she tossed the coin into the fountain. She looked up to the eyes of the concrete crane situated in the center of the fountain. Its lifeless gaze did nothing to reassure the woman that her wish would indeed come true. She chalked it up to becoming jaded to the idea of wishing on money. She turned her gaze down to the ripples in the fountain formed by her coin's entrance. The one-hundred yen coin's distorted image quickly became unrecognizable as the fountain's ripples overtook the coin's. Sumiko let out a sigh.

She opened her notebook one last time. With the click of her pen, she finished her letter.

 _Thank you for the love and memories, Maya Hirata._

 _With all my love,_

 _Sumiko Hara_

"Mommy! Ryuji said to hurry up because he's hungry!" Ayame yelled, snapping Sumiko out of her writing focus.

"Hey! Why'd you tell her that?!" Ryuji yelled back with a betrayed tone in his voice.

"Because that's what you said!"

"I didn't say to tell her!"

"But you're hungry!"

Sumiko smiled and shook her head in disapproval as she walked back to the bickering children. She approached them and gently pushed the two of them apart. Ayame and Ryuji glared at each other, then proceeded to look away with a "hmph."

"Come, children, let's finish the birthday celebrations."

In that moment, Sumiko accepted her grim future… but for now, she was happy.


	2. Life Interrupted

Shogi City was located about five-hundred kilometers north of Domino City. It was a small city in comparison to Domino with only eight high rises, if one could call them that. The building height restrictions within the city limited all buildings to having no more than fifteen stories. The reasoning was to preserve the views of the rolling hills and abundant trees. The restrictions, however, did nothing to slow the expansion of the city. It was still bustling with multiple generations of residents with more coming in by the day.

Ayame Ishida loved this about Shogi City. The expansion brought new attractions and opportunities to the city for everybody to enjoy. Her favorite was the new department store that opened last year a few blocks from her school, Loft. She spent most of her paycheck from her part-time job there, but she was never concerned about money. Anything she earned was hers to spend as she liked. Her mother had little opposition.

This day was no different. Satisfied, she walked out of Loft with three things: a new faux leather school bag, a new sundress, and a caramel frappuccino. She spent two hours at Loft, and she would have stayed longer if her companion wasn't at the end of his patience. The raven-haired boy walked begrudgingly behind her with his hands in his pocket.

"Next time you say, 'I need one thing from Loft,' let's try to make it out with just that one thing." He grumbled.

Ayame groaned. "That dress was too cute to pass up, Ryuji. And," she interrupted herself to pull the small receipt from her bag, "It was on sale. 1,750 yen!"

Ryuji scoffed which earned a huff in response from his brunette friend. "You didn't have to come."

"Yeah, I remember the last time I told you I wouldn't come; I got a phone call two hours later because you were stuck with no food or train money."

Ayame stopped dead in her tracks and turned her whole body with glaring eyes toward her friend, who continued at his pace toward her. His head was lowered, but Ayame could still see the smug look he wore proudly on his face. They both knew he was right, but it was still something she didn't want to admit to. She really didn't feel like feeding his ego, but when he managed to snatch the frappuccino from her hand without a fight, she knew she already had. The glare softened to defeat.

Ryuji took a sip of the frappuccino. His smirk slowly disappeared as he forced himself to swallow the sweet, caffeinated beverage.

Ayame adopted Ryuji's smug look, satisfaction filling her at the thought of karma working for her. "What's wrong, Otogi? Not your taste?"

"I will never understand why you like your coffee that sweet. It's disgusting."

"You're disgusting."

"Aunt Saki would be so disappointed to see you acting so immaturely."

Ayame shrugged and smiled coyly. "I can't be a model daughter all the time."

Ryuji handed her back her cavity-inducing beverage with a "hah." Savoring what she felt to be a victory, she scooped a glob of the caramel-drizzled whip cream with her finger and put it promptly in her mouth. It was a sweet victory, indeed.

Ayame adjusted the bags in the crook of her elbow and resumed walking down the sidewalk away from Loft and toward the train station. Ryuji fell into step with her, hands returning to his pockets.

The train station was not too far from the department store. Aside from Loft, there were not many new developments in the district. Maple trees still lined the main road leading to the train station. The residents took pride in the trees that have been there since the city first populated almost forty years ago. Many of the shops sold maple leaf specialty products from souvenir phone charms to deep fried maple leaves. The deep fried maple leaves were especially popular. It was something about the soil, or so the vendors say. They also happened to be Ayame's mother's favorite. If she wasn't so broke that day, she would have bought a box. But, if she was being honest, she wasn't thinking much about her that day.

The pair eventually arrived at the train station. The sun was just starting to set. The bright blue was softly blending with a growing orange. The new shade of light seemed to change the dynamic of the open air train station. It changed it from an overstimulating bustle to a relaxing return. At least, that's how Ayame perceived it.

"Hurry up, guys! These backcountry stores close early!"

Ayame turned her head toward the loud, obnoxious voice to find a group of friends around her and Ryuji's age exiting a train cart, with the blonde friend pushing through the small crowd exiting in front of them with a few "excuse me"'s here and there. Ayame narrowed her eyes at the group. _How arrogant._

The blonde waited off to the side as one-by-one his friends trickled to his location. The first to join him was a tall brunette boy with hair gelled to a point, followed by a skinny girl with a shoulder length bob, and a short boy with the craziest hair Ayame had ever seen.

"Tourists…" Ryuji commented, breaking Ayame's attention on the group.

She shook her head in agreement. The two continued walking to the ticket gates with their rail passes in hand. It wasn't long before the same loud voice chimed again, much to Ayame's annoyance.

"Hey, where's Bakura?"

She snapped her head back to the group and stopped walking. Perhaps it was a reflection on how she was raised, but she never liked people who spoke too loudly unnecessarily. Her curiosity demanded to know who the loudmouth was, though she had a feeling it was the blonde boy. Sometimes she was too nosey for her own good. Perhaps it was a reflection of her being raised in a small city. She mentally slapped herself for trying to justify her behavior for the upteenth time in her short life.

The brunette boy stood on his toes to get a better look of the area. Soon he was waving his hand over his head calling Bakura's name. From the crowd emerged a white haired boy in a khaki cashmere sweater. He looked positively overwhelmed as he politely maneuvered the dwindling crowd from the second train cart. She stared in confusion wondering where the group came from to have such variations in hair.

Ryuji stopped too. Placing one hand on his hip, he sighed in frustration. "We're going to miss our train. Stop staring at the tourists."

"How does that short boy get his hair to stand up like that? He looks like he got zapped by lightning."

"Aya…"

"Sorry, it's just that his hair is-"

"Aya."

She took a quick breath. "Right, the train."

She walked over to the entry gate and scanned her rail pass. She continued to walk forward expecting the gate to automatically open. The red rejection light fell upon blind eyes as she collided with the closed gates. She dropped the card in surprise. Ryuji, who was already on the other side of the gate, let out his fourth sigh of the day. "Again?"

"Maybe it didn't scan correctly?" She offered. She knew that she didn't have enough money on the card. For a model daughter, she was not a model for her finances. She also knew that Ryuji was not going to buy that excuse. He knew her too well. She dropped the charade and bent down to pick up her card.

"Do you have money to put on your card?"

"Umm…" She placed her frappuccino on the flat platform that divided the entrance gateways and fished in her purse for her wallet. She opened it up to find only coins remained. She spent her entire paycheck, again. She turned slightly away from her friend as she began to fish through the coins. She heard him chuckle at her action. She realized her movement wasn't as slight as she intended it to be. Embarrassment swept a pink tinge over her cheeks.

Ryuji walked toward her and leaned on the gate platform. "It looks to me like you're short on cash."

At the instant, she fished out two five-hundred yen coins. She flashed it in his face proudly. "Nope, I've still got something."

The raven-haired boy chuckled. "The fact that you have to flash your coins to me says that's all the money you have left."

"Shut up," She pouted out as she turned around and started walking to the recharge machine. "At least you don't have to pay for me again."

Her friend continued to chuckle from behind the gate. She hated him sometimes, but it never lasted. He was the best, worst friend she could have asked for. She shook her head at the thought of adoration. Now was one of those times she hated him, and she was determined to hate him for at least the next twenty minutes.

She approached the machine and began to go through the process of refilling her card.

"Excuse me, but…" A voice trailed off next to her. Ayame stopped her hand and looked toward where the voice came from. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of tri-colored lightning hair. Lowering her head slightly, she found his face was that of a young boy with innocent purple eyes. He was much shorter than she expected. Then again, sizes can be indistinguishable at far distances.

"My friends and I are looking to try some deep-fried maple leaves before we go back home. Do you know if there are any stores still open?"

She smiled gently. "Most stores close by sunset, but you might have some luck with Mr. Morimoto's shop. He usually closes after the sun sets.."

The boy's eyes lit up with excitement. His energy grew Ayame's smile. _What a sweet boy._

She turned her whole body to face the main road that she and Ryuji just walked down. The boy's friends quickly caught up to him. She repeated what she told the boy to his group about Mr. Morimoto's shop. "His shop is on this side of the road," She said signalling to her left. "He has a little pomeranian named Louie that sits right in front of the shop. You can't miss him."

"Thank you very much!" The boy thanked her with a slight bow.

Ayame waved her hand in front of her face slightly embarrassed by the show of formality. "It's no trouble, really."

She looked up to the rest of the group with the intention of wishing them well on their quest for the deep-fried confection, only to have her gaze caught on the boy with long white hair she believed to be called Bakura. Her breath caught in her throat briefly enough for only her to notice. A sense of deja vu rushed over her body. Her words came out faster than her rational mind could stop them.

"I'm sorry, but have we met?" She asked him.

The boy looked at her with slight confusion. "I'm not sure that we have."

She laughed a little as if trying to hide her embarrassment. "You're probably right."

She turned her attention back to the group and wished them well in finding the shop. The short boy thanked her again, then the group turned and started walking away. They resumed their conversations at a more reasonable volume as they exited the station. She returned her attention to the machine only to find that her session had timed out. She quickly went through the process again and inserted her payment. She ran back to the gate and tapped her card to grant her entrance. The gate opened and she rushed to where Ryuji was now standing with her frappuccino.

"Good job, model daughter," Ryuji jokingly said as he handed her the frappuccino.

Ayame huffed.

"We're on quite the immature streak today."

"I hate you."

* * *

Ayame lived in a backhouse in an older part of town. For as long as she could remember, she lived in that small two-bedroom house. The elderly couple that lived in the main house, the Yoshikawa's, were the closest thing she had to grandparents. When she was younger, she would often spend time in their home when her mother would work long hours as a nurse assistant at Mrs. Watanabe's home in Iwo Town about an hour outside of Shogi City. Since their son and his family lived far away and never visited, they doted on Ayame as if she was their own. However, if anyone asked, she was theirs and they were hers.

Ayame opened the door to her home and was welcomed by the scent of her mother's cooking. She started removing her shoes and putting on her house slippers. "I'm home!"

"Welcome back," Sumiko's proper voice from deeper within the house.

She walked into her home and placed her bag on the loveseat. She unsurprisingly found her mother in the kitchen. She already had most of their dinner prepared with only the main entree remaining: misoyaki butterfish.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Mother?"

"Ah, yes, if you could set the table? The Yoshikawa's will be joining us for dinner tonight so please place four settings," Her mother instructed motioning to their dining table. Ayame's eyes lit up at the thought of her grandparents joining them for dinner. Even if it usually happened every few weeks, the occasion was nonetheless very special to her. The older she got, the less she felt she saw of them.

"Of course!" Ayame chirped as she collected the utensils to place.

Sumiko flipped the butterfish. The flesh sizzled immediately upon contact with the hot aluminum pan. "I thought Ryuji would be with you?"

Ayame shook her head despite her mother not being able to see her. "He said he had to talk with Uncle Clown about something at the last minute. He apologizes for not being able to make it tonight."

"That's a shame. I'll pack him a lunchbox. Bring it by tomorrow for him, will you, dear?"

"I will. I'm sure he'd like that."

Sumiko turned to her daughter and smiled. Ayame was placing the last set. The middle-aged woman found herself admiring everything about her sixteen year old daughter from her mid-length straight brown hair to the mascara she began using to accentuate her deep blue eyes. Sumiko felt that Ayame was still too young to be wearing makeup, but agreed under the condition that she applied it modestly. Her clothing, however, seemed to be becoming more fitted. Sumiko wanted to believe it was just Ayame's pubescent body filling out clothing better, but a part of her knew that her daughter was simply buying more flattering clothing. She somewhat regretted allowing Ayame to spend her part-time job money as she pleased.

Then the doorbell rang.

"That must be Grandpa and Grandma!" Ayame exclaimed as she started running to the door. "Coming!"

"Please walk, Ayame," He mother said in her normal voice as she turned her attention to the multiple bowels of assorted foods. She picked up two at a time and started toward the dining table.

Ayame slowed to a fast walk and excitedly opened the door to be greeted by the smiling faces of her grandparents. She welcomed the elderly couple and held her arm out to her grandfather. He steadied himself with his wooden cane as he took her arm shakily.

Sumiko looked at the sight with melancholy. It's been sixteen years, but that creeping feeling of the day she will lose her brunette girl reared its ugly head into the forefront of her mind. She set the next two bowls with trembling hands. She could barely muster her welcome to the elderly couple. Instead, the couple greeted her, snapping her out of her trance. 'In through the nose, and out through the mouth,' She affirmed to herself anyway.

"It's nice to see you home, Saki. You didn't need to take care of Mrs. Watanabe tonight?" Mrs. Yoshikawa asked as she seated herself at the dining table. Ayame guided Mr. Yoshikawa to the seat next to his wife and assisted him into the chair. Sumiko brought the freshly cooked misoyaki butterfish and placed it in the middle of the table with the rest of the food.

"Her daughter is in town visiting for a week. She said she will take care of her during that time," Sumiko explained as she found her seat across from Mrs. Yoshikawa. Her daughter took the seat next to her.

The family clapped their hands together and gave thanks for the food. They all picked up their chopsticks and began serving themselves the food. Mrs. Yoshikawa looked up from the food she was picking up. "That's nice. You deserve the break. You work too hard, Saki."

"You're too kind," Sumiko replied modestly.

"It's true," Mrs. Yoshikawa insisted.

"Thank you, Mrs. Yoshikawa."

The conversation continued through the evening. The Yoshikawa's left after dinner, but not before insisting that they help with the cleanup as they always did. They usually won the argument, if one could call it that.

An hour later, Ayame was dressed and ready for bed. She exited the washroom and headed for her room across the hall. Sumiko sat at the cleaned table with a cup of hot water with lemon. She watched her daughter walk to her room in her plaid pajama set that the Yoshikawa's bought her last year for Christmas.

"Ayame?"

Ayame stopped and turned her head to face her mother. "Yes?"

Sumiko shook her head, ignoring the pressing question put to the front of her mind. "Nevermind, it's nothing, dear. Good night."

Ayame smiled. "Good night, Mother."

Ayame closed the door behind her as Sumiko ran her hands through her raven hair. The years have done nothing to the weight of the truth bearing down on her shoulders daily. She wanted to tell her so badly so many times. She wanted to tell her tonight. Would that make her a better mother for admitting it to her? The thoughts spiralled through her head, blowing up the mole hills into mountains. 'In through the nose, and out through the mouth,' She mentally coached herself for the second time that day.

* * *

Sumiko left early that morning to run the errands that have been gradually piling up. Since she did not have many days off, she took it as an opportunity to reduce that number. Most of those errands were related to self-care, something that Sumiko severely neglected.

Ayame found a note with breakfast prepared. She smiled at the gesture and began to eat the food her mother made. After breakfast, she got ready for her part-time job. Despite the reasoning for her mother's absence that day, it was like most mornings.

Ayame worked part-time at Himura Ramen near Ryuji's family business, Black Crown. She had worked there for the past year. She initially started working a few days after school for a few hours. Her reasoning for wanting the part time job was simply to be able to buy the things that her mother wouldn't buy for her. Of course, that wasn't the reason she told Sumiko. It was an innocent lie. However, when Sumiko found out, her mother made sure to note the importance and responsibility that came with a job, as well as the importance of budgeting.

The last part fell on deaf ears.

After straightening out her uniform and smoothing over the few flyaways in her hair, Ayame picked up her bag and left for work, locking the door on her way out. The morning air grew cooler by the day as summer vacation came to an end.

The lunch shift was unusually slow that day. Ayame leaned on counter as she looked at the front door waiting for a customer. Mr. Himura closed the lid on the broth and reduced the fire to low. "Not even one customer today, eh?"

Ayame shook her head.

Mr. Himura leaned on the counter next to Ayame. He was a middle-aged man with black hair sprinkled with white. Himura Ramen was a family business he inherited from his late parents. He devoted all his time and energy to the family business. His dedication has deterred many from maintaining long-term employment with the shop. They found it difficult to work with a man who seemed to care little for them.

And then, there was Ayame Ishida who just wanted a paycheck to go shopping with.

"So, what am I supposed to do when school starts again next week?" Mr. Hiruma questioned, now looking at her. "It's hard to find somebody to work for me during the day."

She laughed. "I'm sure you'll manage as you always have. Besides," She smirked. "Most of your patrons are my classmates who come after school is over."

Mr. Himura let out a single loud laugh. "I'm not sure what those young girls see in this old man!"

"I'm sure it has something to do with that cold demeanor you typically have around them. That appeals to some," She explained. She never understood it herself, but it did seem to be the case.

Mr. Himura mirrored her smirk. "Is that why you work here, Ishida?"

Ayame rolled her eyes. "Pervert."

"Is that any way to speak to your boss?"

"Keep being nice to me and you'll lose your customer base."

Mr. Himura laughed. "I'm joking!"

Despite going outside to coax people into the shop, it seemed as though the street was empty. After about an hour, she returned into the shop more confused than ever. It was strange for there not to be a single customer.

Ayame took her lunch break at around 2:00pm. She took the two lunchboxes and prepared to leave for the Black Crown to drop off Ryuji's lunch. "I'm leaving to have lunch with Ryuji."

"What's the lucky boy got today?"

"Mother made some misoyaki butterfish last night. He couldn't make it to dinner, so she packed it away for his lunch instead."

Mr. Himura nodded. "Be back in twenty minutes."

"Yes, Boss," She said smiling as she bowed slightly.

Just as she was about to open the door, she heard heavy footsteps running down the sidewalk and a familiar voice calling her name. "Aya! Aya!" Ryuji threw the door open and came face to face with who he was looking for. His face held a sense of urgency with emotions that Ayame could not decipher. Her smiling face dropped to one of worry.

"Ryuji, what-"

"Aya, Aunt Saki's been arrested!" He yelled at her, adrenaline coursing through his veins. "It's all over the news!"

Ayame dropped the lunchboxes in the bag on the floor and her face faltered.

"A-Arrested?"


	3. What I Thought I Knew

When Ayame was getting ready for her high school entrance exam, she had two schools that she wanted to attend in mind: the public school Shogi High and the private school Tsume High. Most of her friends from middle school were going to attend Shogi High, but Ryuji was going to attend Tsume High. For the next month, she stared at the two school brochures unable to make a decision about where she wanted to go. Before she knew it, she missed the deadline to register for the Tsume High entrance exam. She only found out because Ryuji came to her house after the exam to yell at her missing the exam. This oversight led to one of the most profound discussions Ayame ever had with her mother.

"I understand you missed the entrance examination for Tsume High School," Sumiko stated bluntly yet gently. Her and Ayame were seated on a bench at Tsuru Park closest to the crane fountain. Saki had her hands folded gently over her lap as she looked out toward the crane sculpture.

Ayame shied away from the fact, embarrassed. She looked down at her own lap. She pinched one of the pleats of her thick black uniform skirt.

"Did you not want to attend there?" Saki pressed further.

"It's not that…" Ayame started as she gripped more of the pleats in her hand.

Saki shifted her attention to her daughter. "Please don't wrinkle your skirt, dear; it's difficult to iron."

Ayame lessened her grip on the fabric and let out a small breath she didn't know she was holding. "I want to be in the same school as Ryuji… but I want to be with my other friends too," She rambled. She shifted her attention up to her mother's brown eyes who seemed to hold no emotion as usual. Her looks have led some of her friends to perceive Saki as a mother who was too strict and uncaring. Ayame knew better, but she saw no point in convincing her friends.

"Ayame," Saki started. "If you don't control your life, somebody else will."

Confused, she asked her mother, "Like who? God?"

Saki smiled in response. "Something like that."

"Didn't you say that God has a plan for everybody?"

"He does."

"So, how can I control my life if God has everything planned out for me?"

"Dear," She said in a quieter tone. "Even our best plans can go wrong." She placed a hand on Ayame forearm. The thick black sleeves had a slight dusting of snow atop them. The snow melted instantly under Saki's warm hand. "You can't control everything."

Ayame's thoughts returned to the situation in front of her. How long had she been there in front of Ryuji with her mouth ajar? The lunchboxes, thankfully, were secured with bands which prevented the contents from spilling from within. The organization, unfortunately, was likely all but lost… but that was the least of Ayame's concern at the moment.

Mr. Himura rushed to the door and quickly ushered Ryuji into the restaurant. "Upstairs, you two. I have a television." He locked the door and closed the restaurant for business. For a split second, he cynically told himself that it made no difference if the restaurant was closed anyway. He opened an old wooden door to show a staircase. Ryuji grabbed Ayame by the hand and pulled her toward the stairs. Shaken out of her trance, she pulled her hand from his and proceeded to follow the two men up the stairs.

Mr. Himura's home was modest. Similar to the restaurant downstairs, his home looked antiquated. The walls were bare redwood and his floors were made of tatami mats and oak. In a rapidly modernizing world, it was almost humbling to the two teenagers to be returned to old Japan. It was a small dwelling filled with a minimal amount of material possessions. In the far corner of the room was an altar with three pictures positioned coupled with flowers, two candles, and a bowl for incense. Two pictures were of an eldery man and elderly woman while the other showed a beautiful young woman with blonde hair and brown eyes. Despite the shock, Ayame's nosey nature shined through and guided her slowly to the altar as Ryuji and Mr. Himura worked to set up the television.

"Why do you still have an antenna, Mr. Himura?!" Ryuji groaned as he moved it around trying to get a picture on the old box television. Static and picture played tag as he made slight adjustments.

"I don't watch much television, boy," Mr. Himura stated as he searched for the remote control. "It doesn't make sense for me to pay for cable every month."

Still trying to get a signal, Ryuji grew increasingly frustrated. "If I knew you had one of these ancient boxes, we should have just gone back to my shop."

"Don't insult me in my home, Otogi," Mr. Himura warned as he pulled the remote from a small box. "Let me see the antenna."

Ryuji backed away from the television with his hands up. "All yours, old man."

Mr. Himura shot a quick glare to the youth as he handed him the remote, then quickly turned his attention back to the antenna. "The news is on channel five, unless they've changed it."

Ryuji pushed the button for five to be greeted by a fuzzy picture. He looked around to not see Ayame not in his frontal range of view. Panicked slightly, he turned around to see her staring at the picture of the young woman on the altar. "Aya?"

Mr. Himura looked up to see Aya at the altar.

"Who's this woman, Mr. Himura?" Ayame asked, her gaze never leaving the picture.

Mr. Himura's eyes turned solemn as he returned his attention to the antenna. "A conversation for another time." He adjusted the antenna closest to him hard to the right and generated a clear picture on the television. "It's on, you two."

Just like that, the curiosity vanished only to be replaced by the shock infused into their bodies from the images showing on the old television. Multiple police officers lined the street as the camera focused on a high-end nail salon in the city's business district. The view changed to show concerned bystanders and patrons looking toward a single direction. The camera shifts views again to the news anchor reporting the story.

 _As you can see, the crowds are ever-growing here in front of Crystal Nails following the arrest of Sumiko Hara, who has been wanted for the embezzlement of roughly two-hundred million yen from the Domino City Hospital. She was last seen in November of 1980._

An image of Sumiko then appeared on the screen which caused Ayame's eyes to go wide. "Mother!"

 _Her partner, Katsuo Kajima, was arrested fifteen years ago when he willingly turned himself in following what he claimed to be a "spiritual awakening." He offered her name as a part of a plea bargain which greatly reduced his sentence._

Soon, the images of the two individuals were next to each other.

 _I am told that Hara went by the false name, Saki Ishida, which made it difficult for the Domino City and ministry authorities to locate her._

"Turn it off."

All eyes turned to Ayame who had tears forming in her eyes.

 _Ah, Officer Egami! May I ask for a comment regarding the arrest of Hara?_

Ayame sniffled as a watery mucus slowly dripped from her nose. The tears in her eyes welled up more making it increasingly more difficult to hold back. The two men stared at her more engulfed in their concern of her emotional state rather than her request.

 _Unfortunately, I am unable to provide specific details at the moment other than, due to her crime occurring in Domino City, she will be immediately extradited there and held until local authorities finish their investigations and she is to stand trial._

"Turn it off!"

 _Thank you, Off-_

Mr. Himura turned off the television and returned the remote to the kotatsu _._ The room grew quiet aside from Ayame's sniffles. Try as she did to reel herself back in, her emotions didn't allow it. Electricity tingled throughout her body as she quickly tried to wipe all traces of tears from her face, failing miserably. Mr. Himura sat in silence close to the television. He looked upon his employee with sympathy, despite not understanding what she is probably feeling.

Ryuji was simply at a loss for words. He struggled at the idea of whether it would be appropriate to touch her. Would it break her? What if he did nothing? Would that be just as bad? Hesitantly, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder without saying a word. He knew that no words would help her right now, and the last thing he wanted was his best friend in hysterics.

She didn't respond.

Ryuji left his hand there for a few more seconds before withdrawing it.

"Sumiko Hara…" Ayame trailed as a single tear raced down her face. "They said her name was Sumiko Hara…"

Ryuji looked to Mr. Himura as if asking him what to do or say only to be met with the same sympathetic look he adopted just minutes prior. The restaurant owner rose to his feet and walked a few steps over to a bookshelf where he had a box of facial tissues. He brought the box to Ayame and left it in front of her on the kotatsu _._ He sat next to her and took a deep breath. "That's what they said, huh…"

"Sumiko Hara…" Ayame droned with more tears falling down her face. Despite the tissues in front of her, she made no effort to clean herself. She was in shock. She felt cold, as if the blood was slowly draining from her body into the ground. She just stared at the black television screen with her mouth slightly ajar.

"Aya, hey…" Ryuji said as he adjusted his body to face Ayame.

"If she's not Saki Ishida, then…" Ayame started still staring at the black screen. "I'm not Ayame Ishida, am I?"

Ryuji continued to watch her. He hated not knowing how to react. He hated that he didn't make any more efforts to prepare himself to care for his brunette friend. Then again, how could he have prepared himself to handle the details that followed the arrest? He wanted to laugh at himself for unknowingly adopting Ayame's habit of justifying her behavior.

Ayame turned toward her best friend, tears now flowing freely from her puffy blue eyes. "Am I, Ryuji?"

He took that as an invitation to pull her tightly into his arms. It was in that moment that she let loose all the control she desperately tried to maintain. She sobbed loudly into his black shirt. He maintained his tight grip as she shook uncontrollably, and held her fragile form for the next few minutes.

Mr. Himura eventually stood up and returned downstairs, leaving the friends by themselves.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Mr. Himura returned with two bowls of hot ramen. Ayame had calmed down significantly by then, but still desired the security and solace of her best friend's arms. In a world she felt to be turned on its head, Ryuji was the only thing that remained consistent. Well… him and her boss.

Mr. Himura placed the two bowls of ramen on the kotatsu in front of Ayame and Ryuji. He picked up the box of tissues and replaced back on the shelf. He sat himself in front of the two, blocking the television.

"Thought you kids might want something to eat…" He started as she positioned his hands on his upper thighs. "Don't worry; it's on the house."

Ayame looked up from Ryuji's shirt to see the joking smirk plastered on Mr. Himura's face.

Mr. Himura moved his head to try to make eye contact with her. "It's the tonkotsu broth, which you know tastes better hot."

Keeping her head where it was, she looked down. Ryuji looked down at her moving a wet lock of hair out of her face. Her face was still a slight shade of pink from her intense crying session. He was just glad she was no longer shaking. He looked at the ramen and took in the aroma. It was a rich scent, yet mild. The creamy white broth had a thin, splotchy layer of oil on top with wavy yellow noodles breaking the surface in sporadic places; noodles that Mr. Himura made by hand. It was topped simply with shaved green onions, chashu, an onsen egg sliced in half, and a small sheet of _nori_. He never tried Mr. Himura's ramen before, despite Ayame working at his shop for the past year. Ryuji felt like Mr. Himura's prices were too high compared to other places. He assumed it was because the school girls who frequented his shop were probably willing to spend whatever Mr. Himura asked. He had to admit, the old man sure had charm.

"Ishida…"

"I'm not Ishida," She stated coldly.

"Fair enough," He said nonchalantly. "Employee, please eat the food I generously prepared for you and your punk friend."

Ryuji shot his head up. "Punk friend?!"

Mr. Himura smirked again. He knew insulting the boy would immediately change the atmosphere in the room. Proud of his progress, he pressed on with his verbal assault. "It's a wonder how they let you go to the prestigious Tsume High School with that long hair and that obnoxious harlequin headband," He placed his palm on his forehead and shook his head. "Really, this generation…"

"What's your problem, old man?!"

"Stop it, you two," came Ayame's soft voice. Despite the low volume, it grabbed the attention of both men in the room.

Ayame lifted herself from Ryuji's embrace to which he put up no struggle. She positioned herself in front of a bowl of ramen and, with the clap of her hands, gave thanks for the food. She picked up the bowl and took a sip of the creamy broth. She swallowed and gave a satisfied sigh. Tonkotsu was Himura Ramen's specialty. The recipe was passed down from Mr. Himura's parents. He claims the difference between their tonkotsu and the other shops is how long he simmers the pork bones for and the addition of a foreign ingredient from Germany. It is a secret he planned to take to the grave, unless he found a worthy successor.

Mr. Himura smiled at the sight. _That's better._

Ryuji grunted and followed Ayame's suit. The ramen was probably the best that Ryuji ever had, but his pride wouldn't allow him to tell the chef that. The way Ryuji devoured the bowl, however, spoke more than his words could ever say. Mr. Himura nodded smuggly at his body's response.

It wasn't long before the both of them finished their bowls, with Ryuji finishing his well before Ayame did.

"How was it?" Mr. Himura inquired about them both, but quickly focused his gaze on the green-eyed boy. He smiled slyly as Ryuji squirmed trying to find a way to avoid telling the chef how much he truly enjoyed his food. "Eh, it was pretty good."

"Just pretty good?" Mr. Himura pressed, leaning slightly over the table toward the uncomfortable Ryuji.

"Yeah, just pretty good, what did you want me to say?"

"The truth that it was probably the best ramen you've ever had? Body language doesn't lie, boy."

Ryuji scoffed and turned his head away. With the lack of affirmation or denial, Mr. Himura knew he was right. Turning his head to Ayame, he saw that she had yet another tear rolling down her cheek. He sighed and pushed a napkin toward Ryuji until it touched his fingertips. Mr. Himura motioned with his head toward the brunette. Taking the hint, Ryuji picked up the napkin and blotted the tear away.

She grabbed the napkin from his hand and placed it gently on the table.

Ryuji sighed. "Aya…"

"What do I do now, Ryuji?" Ayame mumbled. She looked up at him searching desperately in his eyes for an answer. "What do I do?"

Ryuji composed himself. It was up to him to be strong for her. When he looked back into her pleading blue eyes, he felt his heart break for her. He watched as she slowly crumbled before him.

"That woman in the picture…" Mr. Himura started. Both teens shifted their attention to him. The middle-aged man ran a hand through his short salt-and-pepper hair. "She was my fiance." He looked to the altar at the picture of the smiling blonde. "She died ten years ago in a car accident."

Ayame and Ryuji became silent.

"She was picking up her older brother from some back-alley game room," He continued through gritted teeth. "The guy had two kids and a wonderful wife, but spent all the money he earned gambling it away in game rooms."

"That night, he had been drinking. From what I heard, he lost everything and thensome… wagered money he didn't have. He called for her to pick him up because his wife wouldn't."

He clenched a fist so tightly his knuckles turned white. "I told her not to go. I told her to just leave him there… maybe he'd learn his lesson if we just let him suffer whatever consequence was heading his way."

He looked back to her picture. "But, Hikari definitely lived up to her namesake."

Looking back down at his hands that were now folded over the table, he continued. "She drove off that night and picked him from that place... but…" Mr. Himura's body began to tremble. "They found our car flipped. They say it looked like she was trying to make an illegal u-turn two lights away from the game room."

Mr. Himura pounded the table, startling Ayame. "They found him pinned between her and the roof of the car. He inadvertently suffocated her. He tried to turn the car around, I know it. That sorry excuse of a man killed my fiance, his sister, and for what? Money?"

Mr. Himura took a deep breath and looked again to Hikari's picture.

"I buried her in the cemetery near the pier in Domino City. She agreed to be my wife on that pier. We bought an apartment unit by that pier. She loved the ocean, so I thought it was the perfect spot for her to rest."

Mr. Himura looked back at Ayame and Ryuji with a defeated look on his face.

"I left Domino City to run away from the pain I felt from her death. In a way, I feel like I abandoned her and our love there. I came back home and took over my family's ramen shop. It's been ten years, and I still haven't moved on. Hikari is probably disappointed in me."

"The point is, don't hide away from this, Ayame," He looked to Ayame with determination in his eyes. "Don't be like me."

Ayame was slightly shocked at the use of her given name. For the year that she worked there, he never referred to her by her given name.

"If you want answers, I think you should go to Domino City and find them. There's only one jail in the city, so she will probably be held there."

Mr. Himura turned around and pulled out a small box from the stand under the television. He set it on the table and opened the lid. He fished around for a minute before pulling out a key with a photograph attached to a keychain. Mr. Himura smiled affectionately at the small dusty photo, then handed it to Ayame. She took it and took a better look at the picture. It was of Mr. Himura and Hikari in their younger years.

"Please live in our apartment."

Ayame looked up in shock along with Ryuji.

Mr. Himura smiled. "After my Hikari died, I couldn't bring myself to sell it. It would honor me if you would live in it. It's the least I could do for you for dealing with this cranky old man better than anybody has in ten years. I mean, it's probably very dusty and doesn't have any furniture but-"

"Thank you very much, Mr. Himura." Ayame interrupted as she bowed as low as she could from her seated position.

Mr. Himura nodded. "Just do me one favor when you get there."

Ayame raised from her bow. "Of course, what is it?"

"Could you bring yellow chrysanthemums for Hikari, and tell her how much I love her?"

"What was her family name?"

"Jonouchi. Oh, and if you happen to see her loser brother's children," He smiled brightly. "Tell them that Uncle Kin never forgot about them. The boy Katsuya should be around your age. But, in all honesty, I hope his wife had the sense to leave him and take those beautiful children with her."

Ayame looked at the picture again and smiled. "If I see them, I'll tell them, but," Ayame looked up at her boss. "One day, you should visit them yourself."

Mr. Himura laughed and ran his hand through his hair. "I'd have to dye my hair first."

The comment made Ayame laugh. "Now who's making excuses?"

Mr. Himura smiled, satisfied hearing Ayame laugh. He looked to Ryuji who looked just as satisfied and nodded, letting Ryuji know that was their cue to leave while she was happy.

Ryuji stood up. "Well, I think we should go now. We've got some packing to do, it seems."

"It seems that you would."

Ayame stood up holding the keys. She clutched it close to her heart. "I'll never forget what you've done for me, Mr. Himura."

"Please," Mr. Himura started as he stood up. "Call me Uncle Kin."

* * *

By the time Ayame and Ryuji arrived at her home, night had fallen. The house seemed emptier than usual. It was an unusual feeling, eerie even. Everything was as it was when she left that morning. Sumiko's note was still on the table. If nothing had changed, she would have been home to greet her daughter and her best friend with the smell of dinner. She would have told them to wash their hands and that dinner would be ready shortly. The three of them would have sat at the table and talked about their days. Ayame would have told her about how not a single customer came to the shop. Sumiko would have thought it was strange and expressed sympathy for Mr. Himura's lack of income for the day. Ryuji would have told her about the progress of the Black Crown's newest location in Domino City. Sumiko would have expressed how delighted she was that the shop is doing so well. Ayame and Ryuji would have washed the dishes, insisting that Saki watch her taiga drama before she missed the beginning again. By the end of the night, Saki would have made Ryuji go home before he missed the last train. Ryuji would have gone home with two lunchboxes of leftovers: one for him and one for his father. He would have given it back to Ayame the next day cleaned.

It was too bad that everything changed.

The two teenagers sat on the floor in Sumiko's bedroom. Just like her personality, her room was neat and orderly. Similar to Mr. Himura, she didn't have many possessions. Her closet doors were still open, showing that her wardrobe was also minimal. The furniture in her room consisted of her bed, one pillow, one night stand, one lamp, one small desk, one chair, and one two-tiered drawer. Most of the furniture has been there since Ayame was a child. The memories of her childhood turned knots in her stomach.

"So, Aya, where do we start?" Ryuji broke the silence.

Ayame let out a long sigh in an attempt to calm her active stomach. "We need to find my identification documents."

"You know that they're probably fake, right?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It's all I have."

Ryuji stood up and walked toward the closet. He put his hands on his hips as he observed its contents. "You know, I almost feel bad for trashing her perfectly organized room."

Ayame quickly stood up and followed his suit. "There's no need to trash it."

"Aya, I have the moving company coming tomorrow morning. We need this place packed fast to avoid law enforcement," He explained now looking at her. "Why didn't we invite your two hot friends again?"

Ayame's face deadpanned. "Eri and Honoka? The ones with boyfriends?"

Ryuji winked.

Ayame groaned. "You're too much sometimes."

He laughed as he put his hand on her shoulder. "For real, though, more help would have made this much quicker."

She sighed. "Not really, they'd be asking questions the whole time. We'd get nothing done."

"Like we are now?"

Ayame shot him a quick glare earning her another playful laugh from her friend. The glare didn't last long before she directed her attention back to Sumiko's closet. Despite having few possessions, Ayame felt strangely overwhelmed by Saki's neatly stacked items. Her body froze as fear and hesitation took hold of her senses. Where does she even start? How was that a question when there were only five boxes in front of her?

"You should still call them. I mean, they do have a right to know you're leaving before you leave," Ryuji explained.

Ayame grabbed the top box of the stack. The choice was simple. She never understood why she made such simple choices so complicated. She thought that, maybe, if she tried to channel Sumiko, it would lead her to picking the right box. Lifting the lid off the cardboard box, she pondered what the right box would be anyway. She knew she was looking for her identifying documents, but a curiosity itched the back of her mind. Her imagination quickly began to run amok in her head thinking about the possibilities. She found herself staring into the box focusing on nothing in particular.

"Did you hear me, Aya?"

"Yeah."

Ryuji shook his head in disapproval. He knew she didn't hear him. Her blank expression told it all. He pulled a similar box from the stack and opened it up. Part of him felt bad for expecting Ayame to be her normally coherent and logical self. If nothing else, he wanted her to behave immaturely. If she did, at least he'd know there was still a part of her still intact.

But that was too much to expect.

He looked into the box and began to pull out its contents. With each object he pulled from the box, he took a quick glance at it. Most of what he pulled out were small figurines of angels. Most of them looked cherub-like and vintage. Sumiko was a fairly religious person who had a love of angels. The last was a large star that looked like it belonged on a Christmas Tree. Not wanting to bother his friend with questions, he returned the items to the box quietly and covered it. He looked at Ayame who was looking at a pearl necklace. "Any luck?"

"Do you think she used the money she stole from the hospital to buy these?" She asked, ignoring Ryuji's question.

Ryuji grew increasingly frustrated with her pessimistic demeanor. "You need to stop with the pessimism, Aya."

"Am I not allowed to be pessimistic, Ryuji? Did you forget what happened today?"

"No, I didn't, but you can't justify this behavior with that. You're just looking for excuses to feel sorry for yourself."

Ayame whipped her head in Ryuji's direction, a scowl quickly forming on her face. "I'm sorry, but are you now an orphan with no identity?" She snapped more coldly than she intended. Her eyes widened a bit in shock at her outburst. A hand brought itself over her mouth as if to prevent more words from coming out. Ryuji's facial expression never changed. It was as if he expected it, or at least that is what she tried to justify to herself. She made a mental note that she really needed to stop doing that.

"I'm sorry… that wasn't fair," She apologized. "I'm not taking this very well, am I?"

"Don't worry about it; let's just find the papers. I kind of want to sleep tonight."

Ryuji stood up and grabbed the third and fourth boxes. He placed one in front of Ayame and one on the floor where he was going to sit. "Can you imagine if she had more than five boxes?" He commented while pulling off the lid of his box. Looking inside, he found a blue notebook with pieces of paper sticking out. The spine was worn, but it was obvious the notebook was well-used. He took the notebook out and flipped through the pages haphazardly. There were a few loose pictures and some scraps of paper with notes scribbled on them. Under the notebook was a photo album and a hospital baby blanket folded into a perfect square. _Typical Aunt Saki._

"I found a notebook, a photo album, and what looks to be your hospital baby blanket," Ryuji announced. He unfolded the blanket and looked at the label. "Hey, I didn't know you were born at Domino City Hospital."

She looked up from her open box, which contained baby clothes. She assumed they were hers. "No, I was born at Tsuru Memorial Hospital."

He pulled out the photo album and opened it to the first page. It was in chronological order, just as he expected Saki's photo album to be. He skimmed over the pictures and finally found what he was looking for. Holding the page up for his friend to see, he pointed to a particular picture of a baby in an incubator wearing a onesie with a small red heart embroidered over where the beating heart is. The Domino City Hospital blanket in question was being used as a sheet. Ayame's eyes widened as she took the photo album out of Ryuji's hands. He scooted closer to her to look at the photo with her. Ayame noted the pink hospital band around the baby's ankle and brough the album closer to her face to try to make out any of the text.

"Domino," She confirmed. "The band says Domino."

"Hey, it also says something else," Ryuji said, putting his face right next to hers to get the same view. "Looks like… Hira… ta?" He questioned. He took the book from her hands and looked again. "Yeah, it says Hirata."

"Hirata? Are you sure?" Ayame asked, squinting at the picture.

"I'm certain," Ryuji confirmed finally moving his face away from the album. "I dated a girl named Hirata once. Kanji was the same."

Not phased by his comment, Ayame turned the page to see more pictures. There were no more hospital pictures, but rather photos of her eating pureed food, standing in the rain with an umbrella, and other typical childhood photos.

She closed the photo album and placed it on the side. She looked through the box in front of her once again. The onesie she wore in the photo was the same one that was in the box. Under the onesie was a red scrunchie headband with a bow and scratch mitts. Further digging, however, led her to a white, unsealed envelope. She pulled the paper out of the envelope to find a document labelled from Domino City Hospital. The more she read, the wider her eyes grew. The wider her eyes grew, the more her lips quivered. Her hand found her way up to her mouth one more time to keep from choking out a cry. Her hands slowly began to tremble. "Ryuji?"

She looked toward him to find his eyes following suit of hers. He had the blue notebook open.

"Aya, you're not going to believe this," He stated as he turned a page in the notebook.

"Does it have anything to do with the name Maya?" She forced out as her grip unconsciously crinkled the paper between her fingertips.

"Y-yeah. Aya, I think that's your real name. What's worse," Ryuji stopped himself. He hesitated to say what else he read in that notebook. He looked to his friend to see the shocked look still plastered on her face. She was crumbling again for the second time today, and this time, they didn't have Uncle Kin to cheer her up with _ramen_ and bad jokes.

"What is it, Ryuji?" She pressed.

"Well, you might not believe it, but…" He took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. "Sumiko Hara isn't your mother. I think… I think she kidnapped you."

Ayame stared at Ryuji with wide eyes. Her lower lip quivered and her face quickly started to pale. The sounds of the air conditioner slowly drowned out as if it was being submerged in water. Ryuji's face seemed to meet the same watery fate. She could have sworn she heard him saying her name, but it wasn't something she could process at that time. The next thing she remembered was the world turning sideways, then pure darkness.

* * *

Ayame woke up the next morning to the sun filtering through her sheer curtains. Her head throbbed. She rubbed her eyes and looked around her room. Aside from her bed and bedding, it was completely empty of her personal belongings. Sliding out of bed, she made her ways to the door still dressed in her Himura Ramen uniform from the day before. She tiredly walked into the living room to find her friend Honoka making breakfast. "Honoka?"

Honoka quickly turned her attention away from the pancakes on the stove and ran over to her friend, enveloping her in a big hug. "Oh my gosh, Ayame! Are you okay? Otogi said you faintest last night!"

Ayame shook her head. "I'm not sure what happened."

Honoka tucked a piece of her black hair behind her ear. She always had her hair short. This time, she had a long bob that went down to almost her shoulders. It was the longest Ayame had ever seen. Her eyes were a light, honey brown, something that Honoka took pride in. Her eyes narrowed as she lightly slapped Ayame's arm. "And you're moving to Domino? Today?! When were you going to tell us? After you were gone?!"

Ayame sighed. "I decided this yesterday."

Honoka huffed. "That is lots of time! Otogi called me and Eri early this morning to help pack your things! The morning of, Ayame!"

Ayame squinted as her ears began to ring from Honoka's volume. "I'm sorry, Honoka."

Just then, Ryuji, Eri, and two of the movers came back into the house. The presence of the movers made her look around her home. It was almost completely empty, save for the large couch and dining set. Ryuji smiled as him and Eri walked up to the two girls. "Hey, good morning. Perfect timing. We just have to get your bed in the van then we are ready to go."

"Hey! What about my pancakes?! She needs to eat breakfast first!" Honoka argued running back to the stove to flip her pancakes only to find the backs slightly burned. "What?!"

Eri laughed as she leaned on a wall next to Ayame. "We're going to miss you, girl."

Ayame smiled. "I'll miss you both, too."

Ryuji led the movers holding Ayame's bed down the hallway. "That's the last of it, Aya."

Honoka proceeded to throw away her burned pancakes and pouted in defeat earning a small laugh from Ayame. Honoka walked up to Ayame and enveloped her in one last big hug. "We'll come visit you!"

Ayame smiled. "You better."

"Aya," Ryuji's voice came again. "Let's go. We've got a six hour drive ahead of us."

She bid farewell to her friends for what she felt to be the last time. She took a quick glance back into her childhood home for the last time. Besides her two friends waving to her with, it was an empty home. No matter how many times she told herself that the home was empty, a memory would alway weasel its way in. Closing her eyes to block the memory, she turned on her heel and walked out of the backhouse for the last time. Ayame and Ryuji buckled themselves in the moving van. Ryuji handed the address to the driver, and off he drove.

"Domino City, here I come."


	4. Watching Over Me

Ayame had only left Shogi City once before. After weeks of begging, Sumiko allowed Ayame to go with her friend Honoka's family to their family's ryokan in the mountains about a hundred kilometers to the east of the city. By train, it was only about thirty minutes away. Her favorite part of the trip was the train ride to their destination. From the moment the train left the central terminal, Ayame giggled frequently at every tree they passed and every new station they stopped at. Honoka, as loud and bubbly as she was, eventually got annoyed with her friend's excitement twenty minutes into the train ride. Everything about leaving Shogi City was a surreal adventure. Honoka's mother and father indulged the two girls with a busy vacation schedule. Multiple attractions and photographs later, they returned to Shogi City. Despite calling every day, Sumiko was an anxious mess. Ayame knew that she may never get to go on another vacation again.

Yet, here she sat in the middle seat of a moving van with her best friend outside of her new home in Domino City.

Ryuji opened the door of the van and let himself out. He stretched his arms up to the sky and let out a loud yawn. He then rolled his shoulders and neck. Every movement was coupled with a groan of discomfort followed by moan of satisfaction as each muscle was therapeutically stretched.

Ayame slowly exited the van and looked up at the apartment building. It was a newer building roughly four blocks from the pier. It was ten stories high and painted an off white color. There were trees lining the street, with a few bushes and potted trees decorating the front face of the building. Despite being close to the industrial area of the pier, the building was tastefully designed. She made a mental note to tell Mr. Himura that he had great taste.

"Aya, let's go check this place out. It looks like his unit is on the top floor," Ryuji said, snapping Aya out of her thoughts. He pulled the key from his pocket along with a folded piece of paper with the address on it. Clutching her purse a little tighter, she took a deep breath and put a smile on her face. She quickly fell into step with Ryuji as they approached the open lobby doors.

"Welcome to Azure Horizon Tower, Miss Hirata," The receptionist greeted with a bow at the lobby doors. "We were expecting you."

Ayame looked at the receptionist confused. She was still not accustomed to the new last name… or would it be considered her old last name? She turned her attention to Ryuji who avoided her gaze. She pulled the sleeve of his black jacket to get his attention. He looked at her from the corners of his eyes. She knew he only did that when he was hiding something; a skill that came with knowing the boy since he was five years old.

He shrugged knowing that his side-eyeing habit gave him away. "I told Uncle Kin about your name."

"Ryuji!" Ayame said in a hushed, exasperated voice.

"What?" He replied, offended.

"I…" She started. She looked to the receptionist who was waiting for them patiently at the door. Returning her attention to her friend, she stood on her toes to whisper in his ear. He leaned down to compensate for the height difference of almost twenty centimeters. "I don't have anything that says my name is Hirata except that hospital paper."

He put his hand on her head, causing her to blink and look up at him. "Don't worry about that right now, Aya," He comforted.

Ryuji looked to the receptionist and gave him a nod. Bowing again, the receptionist moved to the side and let them enter the lobby. It wasn't a grand lobby, but it was much nicer than she expected. The floor was tiled and shined to a gloss with two brown leather couches situated next to each other. The ceiling had track lighting spaced evenly across the ceiling accentuating the white, glossy floors. Arriving at the elevators, the receptionist turned to give Ayame both a mailbox key and a black RFID fob key to access the lobby.

They took the elevator to the top floor, the tenth floor, and walked to the end of a narrow walkway to unit 1010. The receptionist used the spare key to open the heavy brown door.

Ayame covered her mouth in awe of the unit.

"Didn't he say the place was probably very dusty?" Ryuji commented rhetorically.

"Mr. Himura called this morning and hired one of our contracted cleaning companies to clean the space for you. We hope it is to your standard." The receptionist replied holding the door open.

The two teenagers removed their shoes and entered the apartment. The first thing they both noticed was the view of the pier. The mid-afternoon sun glistened against the water creating a mesmerizing view. The apartment was spacious but empty, as Mr. Himura stated the other day.

"This unit is forty-eight square meters with one bedroom and one bathroom. The kitchen has a two-burner cooktop and a small refrigerator. Your washroom has your washer and dryer. The toilet is in a separate room. You also have the intercom right here by the front door for visitors who wish to visit." The receptionist explained as he showed each individual room and item. "Utilities including cable, internet, and phone are included in the building fees, which are being paid for by Mr. Himura."

"He's-" Ayame tried to interject.

"Our maintenance staff will be assisting your moving company to bring your furniture to your unit. They should be up shortly."

The two teenagers met back up with the receptionist by the front door. "Thank you for your hard work," They both said as they bowed slightly.

The receptionist bowed back. "It was my pleasure. Please let me know if we can be of any more service. Please excuse me."

With that statement, he exited the room closing the door behind him.

Ryuji was the first to move from where they were standing. He walked toward the balcony and slid open the glass door. Ayame followed closely behind and closed the balcony door behind them. It was a small balcony, but large enough to fit a small bistro table set with two chairs. Just as quick as the furniture appeared in her head, it was replaced with the nagging thought that she was broke… instant ramen three times a day broke. Her face dropped.

Ryuji leaned on the balcony railing and gazed out at the sun setting on the ocean. "You don't get views like this back home. I'm jealous, Aya."

Aya leaned on the railing next to him. "I wouldn't be," She replied, lowly.

Ryuji put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her toward him in a side hug. She leaned her head into the nook his partially extended arm created and let out a big sigh. A million thoughts ran through her head as she continued to admire the glittering ocean. Each time she tried to focus on one thought, another wave of five more thoughts overwhelmed it. It was a battle royale in her teenage mind. Up until two days ago, the only things on her mind were work and a new school bag. She made a mental note to never take bliss for granted again, or at least to try very hard not to. She leaned heavily toward trying very hard.

"I'm going back to Shogi City tomorrow morning," Ryuji announced.

Ayame looked up with shock in her eyes. "Tomorrow?"

He nodded and looked down at her. "The Black Crown is opening here next month, remember?"

Embarrassed, her lips puckered and her eyes shifted away from her best friend. She did forget. It crossed her mind to blame it on the incidents yesterday, but that would have been an obvious lie that he would pick up immediately. The truth was, she wasn't listening much when Ryuji would talk about the new location in Domino City. Up until now, she didn't really care about the happenings in Domino. All that she did listen to, however, she didn't bother to commit it to memory. She felt that she failed as a best friend… and now she was in this situation trying to think of any excuse to make sure he didn't get mad at her.

"You forgot, didn't you?" He deadpanned.

She looked back at him with the same expression she looked away with. "If I said yes, does that make me a bad best friend?"

He sighed. "And I'm supposed to leave you here by yourself?"

Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of the intercom. Ayame was the first to open the glass sliding door and run to the intercom. She held down the receiver button. "Hello?"

"Trans Movers and maintenance!" The voice came through the speaker.

"Come in!" She replied, pressing the button to open the lobby door.

Ryuji laughed and walked over to her shaking his head with his arms crossed over his chest. "Why am I not surprised you'd get excited over something as simple as an intercom?"

"I had never seen one before!" She proclaimed as she pointed back to the intercom.

"They're really nothing special," He replied, nonchalantly.

"Leave me alone, Otogi," She deadpanned.

" _Otogi_ , eh?" Ryuji mocked her, circling his fingers around his chin. "I thought we were closer than that, _Hirata_."

She stuck her tongue out at him to end the argument. The reality was that she was simply too lazy to come up with a retort. He smiled at the action and crossed his arms over his chest. His best friend was back, even if it was just for a short while. 'Live in the moment,' He reminded himself.

"Still so immature."

* * *

It took an hour and a half for the movers and building maintenance to bring up all the furniture and boxes. It would have been shorter if Ayame didn't ask for them to stage the furniture as well. The two men from Trans Movers, especially the owner, were more than happy to oblige. Ayame chalked it up to great service. She counted her blessings.

Ryuji had gone out to purchase food for their dinner. He returned with Chinese food about ten minutes before the movers finished. He placed the food on the stovetop. He placed two paper plates that he got from the restaurants and matched them with plastic utensils on the small counter space next to it.

"We're done, Otogi," The owner of the moving company stated with his arms crossed over his chest. "And my debt is paid."

"Thank you, Mr. Oba," Ryuji replied nonchalantly in English with a devious smile on his face. "It's been a pleasure," He finished in Japanese. He looked up to the older, slightly overweight man while maintaining his smug facial expression. Mr. Oba's face, however, showed a growing frustration coupled with a red tinge slowly creeping to the surface of his skin. His bald head produced small beads of sweat from the stress of resisting the urge to pummel the raven-haired teen.

Deciding to entertain him no longer, Mr. Oba huffed and left the room with his worker followed by the maintenance crew. The last member of the maintenance crew to leave turned and bowed one last time before gently closing the door, once again leaving the two teenagers alone.

Ryuji took the two plates and sat it down on the mat Ayame had set on the empty space on the wooden floor. The boxes of belongings were piled throughout the small living room. Ryuji mentally patted himself on the back for not bringing the dining table; it definitely wouldn't have fit.

They gave thanks for the food and took the first bite at almost the same time. He bought mabo dofu and rice, his favorite. Ayame had no preferences for Chinese food. To her, most of it tasted similar. It made it hard for her to pick a favorite. Therefore, she always let Ryuji pick the dishes. His selections have yet to disappoint her.

"What did Mr. Oba mean by his 'debt is paid?'" Ayame inquired, placing an emphasis on the last three words. She took her first bite. She mentally prepared herself for the spice that usually came with the dish, but this version was surprisingly mellow.

He swallowed what was in his mouth and gave her a small smirk. "He lost a bet."

She made an "o" with her mouth and turned her attention back to her food. "How did the bet come about?"

"Well," He started, picking up another bit of food with his chopsticks. "He knocked over one of our shelves while moving a table and broke it. I told him he didn't have to worry about it if he could beat me at Dungeon Dice Monsters."

He put the food in his mouth.

"Why am I not surprised…" She mumbled as she took another bite of her food.

He swallowed his food. "I explained the rules."

"It's not really fair though, considering you created the game."

"You got a free move out of it, right?" He said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

She opened her mouth to argue, but quickly shut it. He was right. The look in his green eyes reminded her of that fact. It suddenly made sense to her how he was able to get a moving company at the last minute. Despite the benefit to her, she still felt uncomfortable with her friend's methods for getting these favors. He finished off his plate.

"Speaking of free moves, let's get some of these boxes unpacked," He suggested as he stood up with his empty plate. "Before I leave tomorrow."

Ayame took the last bite of her food and stood up with her plate. They threw their plates and plastic utensils in the trash. Ayame folded up the mat and placed it in the storage closet closest to the front door. She walked back into the living room and grabbed the first box she saw. She placed the box on the ground. Ryuji handed her one of two box cutters he had, and she sliced the tape, opening the box.

He walked over to the other side of the living room and picked out a box from the middle of a stack. It was the only unlabelled box.

"So, when I was packing all this up by myself last night," He started while eyeing her. "I found some interesting stuff."

"Oh?" Ayame replied, her curiosity piqued.

"Yeah, I think you'll like it," He replied with a smirk.

Laying down the box on the ground, he opened it effortlessly with the box cutter and pulled out the first item, which was a medium sized black velvet jewelry box. Ayame raised her eyebrow. "Her jewelry box?"

"Have you ever opened it?" He asked while looking at her. He positioned his hand on the lid, ready to open it.

"Why would I?"

"Because, if you did," He started as he opened the lid. A few pieces of jewelry laid haphazardly on the red velvet surface as a result of poor packing in the moving box. "And took this piece out," He continued as he removed the red velvet surface to reveal another layer of the box. Ayame's eyes went wide at the sight. "You'd find that the woman was ready to leave at a moment's notice."

Ayame reached into the box and pulled out two small bundles of 2,000 yen bills wrapped with a thin strip of paper noting the total value of the stack being 200,000 yen each. Her eyes remained glued open as she fanned through the tops of the bills. She thought it was without a doubt some of the money she embezzled from the hospital. Feeling disgusted, Ayame put the bills back in the box.

"You could use that money to survive until you find another job," Ryuji suggested.

"Ryuji, this is probably some of the money she stole," She stated uncomfortably.

"Or, it could be money she earned working as a nurse that she stashed," He offered, earning a confused look from his female friend.

"Are you serious?" She asked in disbelief, slightly louder than she intended.

"Just hear me out," He started picking the money up from out of the box and holding it in front of his blue-eyed friend's face. "For somebody who supposedly embezzled two-hundred million yen, you guys sure lived frugally, and this," He said as he held up the two stacks. "Is barely anything. She even had a job," He continued to argue, placing a notable emphasis on job, implying that he found that to be the most unbelievable part.

"What are you saying? That she's innocent?" Ayame asked quickly, almost irritated at the fact that he seemed to be defending her.

He shook his head. "I'm saying that there's a chance that this is her hard-earned money rather than the embezzled money."

"And?" She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for him to finish his argument.

"And," He continued, mimicking her crossed arms. "Would you be more comfortable living off of it if it were money that she earned?"

Ayame looked at the money and thought about it. She wasn't sure what she wanted to believe. The pain caused by her mother's arrest and, as she saw it, betrayal wounded all trust she had in her. No matter how she tried, which wasn't much, she could not believe that a single strand of honesty ever existed in the woman. She lied about her name, she lied about Ayame's name, and she lied about being her mother… and when she thought about that, she realized there was no way she could believe that the money in her friend's hands was hard-earned.

"I doubt it is."

"Look, Aya," He started, looking her directly in the eyes. "You need to be able to support yourself. You have nothing. I can't support you, and Uncle Kin is supporting you a lot already. Eventually, you should be paying the expenses for this place, not him"

She looked down to her lap embarrassed.

"Aya, look at me," He said firmly, immediately causing her to look up. "We don't know how she got this money. If she was going to leave, it would have been with you, and I'm sure even you can't deny that. Besides, it's not like she's going to be using it in jail."

The last statement earned a small chuckle from the brunette. "I hate your devil's advocate arguments."

"You know I'm right."

She nodded.

He put the cash back in the jewelry box and closed it. He reached back into the box and pulled out a white letter-sized envelope. He opened it and pulled out a few papers.

"I found some more documents. One has your birth name. It looks like a health screening from the hospital. It's the one you found," He explained handing the paper to her. "This is your, I guess fake, birth certificate," He continued as he passed it to her. "And," He looked at the last paper. "Your new fake certificate."

Her face contorted in confusion. "New fake certificate?"

He smiled proudly. "I thought about it for a while, and realized that if you are a kidnapped baby, it would make things that much harder for you, and your other name is off the table, so," He turned the paper around to show his friend. "Ayame Hirata."

She took the paper from his hands and looked at it impressed. "This looks real."

"I know. Dad did a pretty good job."

"Uncle Clown made this?" She looked to him with her mouth slightly ajar.

"I'll tell him that you were impressed."

Ayame ran her finger over the name. A small part of her felt the need to correct the name back to Ishida, but that feeling was short lived. The thought of the name brought up the picture of the woman she believed to be her mother for sixteen years on the television. Sumiko Hara. Her eyes lingered over the name Hirata, her real name. Despite that, it felt foreign to her. It felt like it didn't belong to her, much like the name Ishida began to feel. Her eyes travelled to the name Ayame. That wasn't hers either, yet it was the only one that felt like it was. She thought back to the name Maya. Maya Hirata. That was her name, or at least that's what she tried to convince herself of.

Ayame put the paper down and started patting herself on the cheeks with both hands. After three pats, she rubbed her cheeks pulling the corners of her mouth in circles.

Ryuji chuckled. "You're thinking too hard about this, Aya."

"Shouldn't we have put Maya?" She voiced the thought in her head. "I mean, that is my real name, isn't it?"

Sighing, Ryuji scooted next to her and put his arm around her shoulders for the second time that day. He looked at a stack of boxes in the kitchen labelled with various kitchen gadgets and tableware. He took a second to formulate this thoughts. With a deep breath, he said, "Names are something that people give us."

She looked up at him unable to process his uncharacteristically wise words immediately.

He didn't avert his gaze from kitchen boxes. "Your name is your identity, and you decide who you are, right?" He looked down at her and smiled. "Has Dad ever told you to call him anything other than Clown?"

She thought about it. Out of all the years she has known him, he has only ever referred to himself as Mr. Clown. Even her mother-no, Sumiko called him that. She shocked herself at the thought of still referring to Sumiko Hara as her mother.

"He identifies with Mr. Clown; it's who he is," He continued. "I don't remember the last time he ever referred to himself as Kentaro," His eyes narrowed with melancholy as he lowered his head to gaze briefly at the floor under the stack of boxes.

"Anyway, this is a fake certificate for now," Ryuji continued when she didn't voice a response, looking at the certificate in her hands. "When you're ready, we can get your real one."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"I'm here for you, Aya," Ryuji stated, affectionately. "I'm pretty much your brother, after all."

"As long as Uncle Clown doesn't end up being my dad," Ayame joked as she smiled brightly at her best friend.

He laughed. "I won't tell him you said that."

* * *

Ayame and Ryuji stood at the entrance of Domino's main train station. He had his black duffle bag slung over his shoulder and wore the same clothes from the day before, much to Ayame's disgust. She made sure to scold him when he got out of the shower that morning wearing the same clothes. She, on the other hand, wore the sun dress she bought the day before she left Shogi City. It was a simple white white eyelet dress that she wore with a denim jacket. She donned a khaki felt floppy hat with a black ribbon atop her straight brown hair.

She lifted the front of her hat to get a better view of her friend.

"I don't know why you insisted on wearing that oversized hat," Ryuji commented, bending over slightly to look under the fold. "It's a bit inconvenient, don't you think?"

"It's cute," She huffed in rebuttal. "And it blocks the sun."

He chuckled. "Girls and their accessories."

"Hah!" She exclaimed as she poked at his gold arm band. "Says the boy wearing gold jewelry. At least my hat is functional!"

Ryuji swatted her hand away, which made her laugh. He smiled at the action. Seeing her laugh made him slightly more comfortable with leaving her by herself. _Slightly_. He looked at the digital clock on the wall. The shinkansen to take him home was arriving in five minutes.

Ayame then suddenly hugged him tightly around the waist. She held him with the intention of never letting go, like a child clinging to a parent. Maybe if she held him long enough, he would miss his train and have to stay with her. The truth was that she was scared to be alone. She felt displaced both physically and emotionally, and now the last and, frankly, only person she's been relying on for holistic support was leaving a day after they got to Domino. She thought it wasn't fair. With that thought, her tears soon started wetting his shirt.

Her best friend hugged her back gently placing one hand on the middle of her back and one on the back of her head. He let her cry… for a few more seconds.

"You're going to ruin your makeup."

"It's waterproof," Her muffled voice responded.

"So you planned on crying?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I knew I would."

He held her a little tighter. "You'll be fine, Aya."

After a few more seconds, she let him go and took a few steps back. She pulled a handkerchief from her bag and wiped the tears from her face. "You better go before you miss your train."

"You probably wouldn't mind that."

"You know me too well," She said as she jumped back to him and gave him another hug. A final hug, she told herself. "I'll see you next month?"

He hugged her back. "Count on it."

The arrival music started playing through the speakers. It was time for him to go, yet he found his arms still wrapped securely around her small frame. He didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone. He didn't trust that she could survive. The girl in his arms was sheltered her entire life, after all.

Drawing upon all her courage, Ayame pulled away. "Go."

And he did, with a satisfied smile on his face.

* * *

The train slowed to a stop after two hours and six minutes. The shinkansen was rarely delayed, and this time was no different. Within a minute of the train slowing down, it was announced of the train's arrival in Domino City through the speakers.

"Finally! I thought we'd be on this train forever!" Honda groaned immediately after the automated announcement.

Anzu shook her head in disappointment. "It was only two hours, Honda."

"Two hours is pretty long, Anzu," Yugi spoke up, putting his Duel Monsters deck back in its case. "I would have been bored if I didn't have Jonouchi to play Duel Monsters with."

Jonouchi followed suit and returned his deck to its case. "And to think I was going to leave it at home! I'm glad I didn't!"

"Me too," Yugi chuckled as he turned his attention to his white haired friend sitting across the aisle. "What about you, Bakura?"

Bakura shifted his attention from outside the window to his friends. "It didn't feel too long; I was pretty occupied with the food and scenery."

"Wow, you're patient," Honda murmerred.

The train soon slowed to a stop and the doors fluidly slid open. The group gathered their duffle bags and suitcases and exited the car. Their car was fairly empty, with just one other person on-board. He was an elderly man, and was quiet for the entirety of the ride. Anzu was surprised he didn't make any comments about how loud Jonouchi and Honda were being, especially during the Duel Monsters games.

They continued to walk toward the entrance of the station. Anzu's attention shifted toward the lone vending machine, her subconscious reminding her that she was thirsty. However, it was the sight of a familiar face that stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Hey guys, isn't that the girl from the train station in Shogi yesterday?" Anzu commented as she noticed the girl with the floppy hat sitting on the bench near a vending machine. "The one that Yugi asked about the maple leaves?"

Yugi stopped and looked at the girl. "It's hard to tell with her hat covering her face."

"Yeah, who would wear a hat that big?" Jonouchi added, gazing at her hat in pure confusion.

Anzu huffed. "Well I think it's cute."

The group looked at her form for a while in silence, none of them wanting to make the first motion to find out her identity. They looked to each other as if asking the others to be the one to volunteer. Eventually, all eyes fell on Yugi, who already knew that it was futile to fight the consensus. He let out a big sigh and acknowledged his job.

He started walking over cautiously with his hands in his pockets. He looked over his shoulder back to his friends, who were watching him curiously. Jonouchi threw him a thumbs up and flashed him a goofy grin. Yugi returned the thumbs up and continued his trek toward the girl with the big hat.

What should have only been ten meters felt like fifty to Yugi, but in no time he was standing in front of the girl. "Excuse me, but," He started to get her attention.

She startled slightly and wiped her cheek before looking up to a familiar face. "Oh, it's you."

"Hey, are you okay? You look like you were crying," He asked, concern dripping in his voice. She wiped her cheek again instinctively, confirming to him that she was.

"This is embarrassing; I'm sorry," She apologized and she straightened out her hat to reveal more of her face. "These last two days have been quite the ordeal."

"It seems like it. Why were you crying, might I ask?"

She sniffled and corrected her posture. "Let's just say I had to start over," She said, looking at the advertisement from Kaiba Corporation for a new Duel Disk.

"But enough about me," She changed the subject before he could question her for details. She put on a smile and looked at him. "Were you and your friends able to get some maple leaves?"

"Ah, yes! You were right about Mr. Morimoto! He was the only one open. We bought the rest of his stock."

She chuckled at the thought. She could only imagine Mr. Morimoto's excited response. "He probably threw in something extra too."

"Yeah, he did," He said as he fished around in his duffel bag. He pulled out a small maple leaf charm. "He gave us all these charms for our school bags or phones."

"That sounds like him. You guys probably made his day," She smiled at the thought of Mr. Morimoto's predictable actions.

Yugi chuckled. "That's exactly what he said!"

"Hey, Yugi! Way to let us know it was her!" Honda's voice came.

Yugi turned around to see his friends walking up to them. He turned around and waved at them embarrassed. "Sorry guys; got caught up in conversation."

Ayame stood up and smoothed out her white eyelet dress. She bowed slightly and said, "It's nice to see you all again."

"Ah, so formal!" Jonouchi exclaimed loudly. "There's no need for that!"

At that moment, she was thankful that her hat covered her face. Her eye twitched at the sound of the familiar loud voice. It was nothing against him; for sure it was just his personality. Nonetheless, she found the volume unnecessary. Confident her face would remain pleasant, she rose from her bow and wore her smile.

Anzu smiled and walked up to her. "I love your outfit, especially this hat," She complimented while pointing to Ayame's hat. "It's so cute. Do you love fashion?"

Ayame's eyes perked up. "Yes, I love it. I feel that I can really express myself through my outfits."

"I can tell we're going to be great friends already," Anzu proclaimed proudly.

Yugi looked back to Ayame. "Say, we never caught your name—"

"Oh! Where are my manners?" She interrupted with a gasp. "My name is Ayame Hirata."

"It's nice to meet you, Hirata; I'm Yugi Muto," He introduced himself. It seemed to her that she started a chain of manners, and in the back of her mind, a voice chimed that her mother would be proud of her. As quickly as the voice came, it was quickly repressed by the defense mechanism that was her mind. However, it was not quick enough to stop the pang of betrayal and hurt brought on by the events two days ago.

Then another thought came to her mind: Mr. Clown.

"Yugi Muto? As in the grandson of Suguroku Muto?" She asked for confirmation.

Yugi's head tilted slightly in confusion. "You've heard of my grandfather?"

She nodded her head. "My friend's father speaks of him often, albeit not very highly." She thought back to all the comments Mr. Clown has made about Suguroku Muto over the course of her school years. She couldn't remember one positive one. A single event put Mr. Clown on a warpath to revenge, and it impacted her best friend's life in a negative way.

"Your grandfather really did wrong by him," She finished, choosing to omit details.

"Grandpa did?" Yugi asked confused. The question took him aback.

"I can't imagine Yugi's grandpa doing anything that bad," Anzu added. "I mean, he's got a bit of a dirty mind, but that's about the worst of it."

Ayame sighed. "I don't really know the details, I'm sorry," She said, which was a blatant lie.

"Changing the subject," Honda interrupted. "What are you doing in Domino, Hirata?"

"Ah, Ayame is okay," She corrected with the slight wave of her hand. Firstly, she was never one for the use of her last name, unless it was by her teachers or her former boss. Most recently, however, it was because the name was still foreign to her. Despite that, she found herself adjusting well, and for that she was quite proud.

"To answer your question, I live here now."

"Now?" Jonouchi questioned in shock. "Like, you just moved?"

"Yes, I just got here yesterday," She replied while nervously rubbing the back of her head under her hat. "Like I told Yugi, these past two days have been quite the ordeal for me."

"So, you lived in Shogi up until yesterday… and you just up and moved here?" Jonouchi reiterated, more for himself. The thought was farfetched

"That's what she just said, Jonouchi," Anzu confirmed sarcastically.

"I know that, but it's just so… strange to up and move that quickly."

"I'm sure she has a reason," Bakura chimed in, grabbing the attention of the rest of the group, Ayame included. He looked to her sympathetically. Ayame smiled at the boy with white hair. She got the feeling that he understood what she was going through, but she dare not ask him how. Regardless, she was thankful for the opportunity to not have to lie about her situation.

"So, where do you live, Ayame?" Yugi asked.

"Azure Horizon Tower, close to the pier," She explained motioning to where she thought the pier was. She knew that probably wasn't where it was, but at that point she wasn't worried; They knew that she was new. "It's my uncle's unit."

"Hey, isn't that where you live, Bakura?" Yugi chimed in.

Bakura nodded.

"Wow, the fan girls will not like that," Anzu joked, nudging Bakura in the side. "They're quite possessive over Bakura here."

Ayame cocked her head to the side. "Fan girls?"

"It shouldn't be a problem unless you plan on attending our school," Jonouchi stated. He walked over to Ayame and rested his forearm upon her shoulder; an easy feat for somebody who was also almost twenty centimeters taller than her. "But you know, I don't have a fan club yet. I'm safe to hang out with."

"Who would want to start a fan club for you?" Honda stated bluntly, eying his blonde friend from the corner of his eye.

"Because I'm Katsuya Jonouchi, runner-up in Duelist Kingdom!" He proclaimed proudly, invulnerable to his friend's blatantly snarky comment. "More than you have, Honda!"

"You punk!" Honda growled, ready to let his now clenched fist explain what he was feeling.

Ayame's eyes perked up as she looked up to Jonouchi in surprise. "Katsuya Jonouchi?"

"Oh, so you've heard of me?" He asked flirtatiously, the recognition doing wonders for his ego. Honda sighed and shook his head.

"Yes, through my uncle," She smiled at the fact that she came across the boy so quickly. Soon, the image of Hikari Jonouchi flashed through her mind, filling it slowly with a creeping sense of melancholy. She turned her head to the side. "I'm, um, sorry about your aunt."

"My… aunt?" He asked, confused.

"Yeah, um," She lifted the front of her hat and looked up to his face. "Uncle Kin says he didn't forget about you, or your sister."

He lifted his arm and took a step back. "Okay, this is getting weird. Just who are you?"

Ayame froze with fear, her eyes darting to each member of the group as if searching for somebody to give her a way out. The anxiety she had seen Sumiko Hara struggle with so often had soon gripped her own bones, paralyzing them. She wanted to scold herself for being so forward. She knew her best friend would be shaking his head in disappointment for her lack of tact. As far as she was concerned, she ruined her first opportunity to make friends in the new city. At that moment, she sincerely hoped that Domino High School was not the only high school in the city. Her mind told her to run before she made the situation more awkward. Her body obliged.

"I'm sorry!" She apologized quickly and loudly with a deep bow. "It was nice meeting you all. I'll be going."

She turned heel and brushed past Jonouchi, but not quick enough to evade the hand that caught her forearm. She cursed in her head, a habit she developed to avoid getting scolded for bad language when growing up.

"Hold on there," He started. "You can't drop things like that then bolt."

'Watch me,' She retorted in her mind.

He dropped her arm and took a deep breath. "Look, I just haven't heard those names in a long time."

Ayame stood there in silence looking at Jonouchi. The rest of the gang did as well. None were quite sure how to continue the conversation. They remained like that for a few seconds longer before Jonouchi continued.

"So, you live in their apartment? Unit 1010?"

Ayame nodded.

"Do you, uh, mind if I, uh…" He dragged on. He rubbed the back of his head. "How do I say this without sounding like a creep?"

"Maybe by not talking?" Honda muttered under his breath, his fist still inching to collide with the blonde's cheek.

"Can it, wise guy!" Jonouchi retorted looking in Honda's direction.

He looked back to Ayame. "Anyway, um, could I come over?" He asked, sheepishly.

Immediately realizing that he still sounded like a creep, he put his hands up, palms forward, in front of his body as if to halt any reactions from Ayame. "For old time's sake!"

"Uh," She started, taken aback by the request.

"No pressure, or anything!" He added trying to make her feel comfortable.

"You know, most guys ask girls out on dates before asking to go over to their homes," Anzu joked as she held back a chuckle. "Especially when they just met them."

Jonouchi became flustered. "That's not what I meant, and you know it!"

The gang soon joined in laughter at Jonouchi's expense, causing him to become even more flustered. His cheeks took on a pink tinge as frustration took over him. Ayame smiled at him in amusement.

"Okay," She decided, still smiling.

The laughter of the gang soon tapered off as all eyes fell on Ayame. Jonouchi was the last to look at the brunette, still pink in the cheeks.

"It's a bit of a mess since I'm not quite done unpacking, but you're more than welcome to stop by," She offered. "However, I'm afraid there is nothing left from when Uncle Kin lived there."

"That's fine! It's really that view that I miss!" He explained excitedly.

"It is nice, isn't it?" She laughed.

"Okay, lovebirds," Honda joked, putting a hand on both Ayame and Jonouchi's shoulders. "Change of plans today?"

"Lovebirds?!" Jonouchi yelled, incidentally right into Ayame's ear causing her eye to wince and flinch away in pain. She then proceeded to rub the inside of her ear with her pointer finger. He had succeeded in making her ear ring, which really wasn't a difficult task; her ears were pretty sensitive.

"Not for me, guys," Yugi replied. "I promised lunch with Grandpa, and I don't want these maple leaves to get too soggy."

"Yeah, Mom wanted me home to get ready for school on Monday," Anzu added. "I still have some shopping to do."

She turned to Ayame. "Speaking of school, are you registered for a school?"

"Yes, Domino High School," She responded.

"Yup, we're going to have fan club trouble," Jonouchi sighed.

"Jonouchi!" Anzu scolded.

"What? Have you seen the fan club?" Jonouchi defended himself. "Poor Bakura can't seem to get a break, yeah, man?"

Bakura blushed and turned his head to the side. He knew very well about his fan club, as others have called it. He found the best way to cope with it was to disregard their presence. Unfortunately for him, the disregard was an attractive quality and did nothing but increase the number of members.

"He's modest," Jonouchi commented as he turned his attention back to Ayame. "So, how about it?"

"Wait, wait," Anzu interrupted. She jogged up to Ayame and pulled out her cell phone. "Would you like to go shopping tomorrow? Girls only."

Ayame's eyes perked up instantly and a big smile immediately came to her face. "Really?"

Anzu smiled. It excited her to finally have a girl to hang out with, not that she didn't enjoy the company of her guys. "Really. What's your number?"

Ayame looked down. "I don't have a phone set up yet at home, nor a cell phone," She apologized. "I hope to get the home phone set up soon."

Anzu shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'll meet you at your apartment. Can I stop by at around nine?"

Ayame nodded excitedly. "Yes, that would be wonderful!"

"Great," Anzu confirmed as she put away her phone in her purse. "It's a date."

The smile remained plastered on Ayame's face as she nodded once.

Anzu and Yugi waved goodbye to the rest of the group as they walked into the terminal to catch their connecting train. Ayame and the remaining boys waved in return. She smiled at the two fading figures. For the first time in years, she felt that somebody was watching over her, beit a God or someone else. Her mind flashed back to Sumiko Hara and her faith. She looked back to her three new friends next to her, and suddenly she felt the thoughts of the woman who was her mother fade from her mind.

"Are you tagging along too, Honda?" Jonouchi asked.

"Yeah, somebody's gotta make sure you don't jump on the poor girl," Honda joked as he put his blonde friend in a chokehold.

Jonouchi choked and fought to get out of the headlock, earning a small chuckle from Ayame and Bakura. She took a few steps to the side and ended up right next to the albino boy. "Bakura, right?"

He nodded and looked at her. "Yes, Ryo Bakura."

"Are you coming over as well?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Well," She started as she took a quick glance to see if the two friends were still wrestling. Not to her surprise, they still were, but it was Honda who was now in the chokehold. She looked back to Bakura, "I'll be making lunch, so if you feel inclined, please stop by."

"I appreciate the offer, Ayame, thank you."

She smiled and fished out a piece of paper from her purse along with a pen. She scribbed her name and unit number on it. "Here," She said as she folded the piece of paper in half. "For if you decide to join us."

She placed the paper in his hand. Just as the tips of her fingers touched his palm, she felt a wave of warmth and electricity rush through her body, traveling from her fingertips and out through what felt like every nerve ending her body. She jolted her hand back, dropping the paper. She held her hand as if it were wounded. She looked at it wondering what happened. Autumn was approaching, and the air was getting drier as the temperature dropped. She thought that perhaps it was just static he built up from his wool sweater. She looked back to him, dropping her afflicted hand. "I'm so sorry," She apologized as she bent down to pick up the paper she dropped. "I think I shocked you."

He bent down as well to pick up the paper before she got to it. "It's all right; it happens sometimes."

She smiled at him. "A sign that the seasons are changing, I think."

They stood up looking back to the two expecting them to still be fighting. To their surprise, they were no longer wrestling, but rather looking away from each other with their arms crossed. Ayame chuckled, gaining the attention of the two boys. "Are you two done?"

"He started it!" Jonouchi accused Honda looking back at him.

Honda looked back at him with a sneer. "You-"

"They're quite the entertaining duo," She smiled looking at Bakura.

Bakura chuckled. "Yes, they are."

"We're standing right here, you know," They responded in unison.

Ayame smiled. "I know."

"You're going to have your hands full, Jonouchi," Honda claimed resting a hand on his shoulder. "I don't envy you, man."

Jonouchi groaned. "For the last time-"

Ayame clapped her hands together and put on the biggest smile, gaining the attention of the whole group. "Shall we go?"

The two boys looked to each other, then back to Ayame. Honda smiled. "Yeah, let's."

She nodded and pulled out her railcard from her wallet. She took a step toward the bickering boys, then turned around to face Bakura again. "Are you coming?

"I have some business in this district," He explained with a slight smile. "But I will be by later. Shall I bring anything?"

She shook her head. "No need. I'll make something for you. I'm making lunch for everybody."

"Did she say lunch?" Jonouchi's voice came from behind her.

"Dude!" Honda's hushed voice came immediately after.

She chuckled, keeping her attention on Bakura. "So, please come."

He nodded. "I will."

"Okay," She confirmed with a big smile as she turned to walk toward Jonouchi and Honda, who were engrossed in a discussion about food. She stopped a few steps in, and turned back around once again. "I'm sorry, again, about earlier."

"It was just a little shock," He said with a smile as he showed her his palm. "Don't worry, I'm not hurt."

"Okay," She replied looking at his palm, then subsequently looking at her own palm. "I'll see you soon."

With that, she jogged over to the boys' current location next to the entrance gates. She scanned her entrance card, and was instantly granted access. She reminded herself to thank Ryuji for making her fill up her card before he left. The boys walked toward the train headed toward the pier with Ayame closely following them. She returned her railcard to her wallet and watched the two continue to have a conversation. It bothered her little that she wasn't involved in it, but at least she wasn't alone. She looked up to the ceiling and mentally thanked whomever was watching over her.

"You're going to run into something if you keep looking at the ceiling," Honda cautioned, snapping Ayame back to reality

"No, I-"

Regardless of the warning, she did run into something, or rather someone. She scrambled to compose herself and bowed in apology to the stranger.

"Here we thought you had it together," Jonouchi joked.

"Goodness, you sound just like Ryuji," She half-pouted as she walked past them.

"Who's that? Your boyfriend?" Jonouchi teased, stopping her in her tracks.

She scoffed and turned around to face him. "More like my brother."

"You have a brother?" He asked curiously.

"No, he's my best friend," She corrected.

He raised his eyebrow and adopted a smug look. "Which means not your boyfriend yet."

"Which means never will be," She retorted.

"You say that now," He said in a sing-song voice as he bent over to say it to her face.

"Can we stop?" She asked, her voice noticeably raised and irritated.

Honda chuckled at their banter as the train soon pulled up to the platform. "Okay, lovebirds, the train is here."

"Shut up, Honda!" They said in unison. They looked at each other and laughed. Jonouchi offered his hand up for a high-five, which Ayame slapped gently. Jonouchi bent over with his hands on his hips. "What kind of high five was that? I thought you had a guy-best-friend-slash-future-boyfriend!"

It was a comment that earned a slap in the arm, a rare action that so far only Ryuji has had the honor of receiving. Jonouchi yelped both in pain and surprise. With a 'hmph', Ayame boarded the train, leaving the two boys behind in shock and borderline apprehension.

"She showed you," Honda joked pointing to the fresh red handprint on his bicep.

"Shut up, man," Jonouchi retorted covering his wound with his opposite hand.

They boarded the train to find Ayame standing and holding a handlebar to stabilize herself for when the train started moving. They took hold of the handlebars on either side of her. The train announced that it was leaving the terminal, and as the train left not a second after the doors closed. The trio rode out the remainder of the trip in silence, with Jonouchi occasionally rubbing his arm, Honda occasionally looking at the location names occasionally illuminating on the marquee, and Ayame gazing out of the window with a smile on her face.

Toward the end of the trip, she looked down at her hand, her body reliving the experience of electricity and warmth rushing through her nervous system. She closed her hand and opened it again, causing the sensation to stop. She sighed.

The automated system alerted the riders of the arrival at the pier district. Ayame let go of the handlebar as the train came to a halt. It would be a thought for another time, or for when she saw Bakura next.

* * *

Ryo Bakura lingered in the area for another ten minutes before swiping his railcard at the entrance gate. Going through the motions, he walked silently toward the train terminal for the pier district. He stood at the edge of the platform looking out toward the business district of Domino. A smirk came to his face as two locks of hair near his face slowly raised a few inches. A faint golden glow emitted from beneath his sweater in the shape of the Millennium Ring, the ancient Egyptian artifact his friends were sure was somewhere in the forest of Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom island.

"Well, this is an interesting development," Bakura said to no one in particular.

He looked down at his hand and clenched his fist, remembering the sensation his host felt not long ago. It didn't mean much to him, but the spirit of the ring knew better.

The train soon arrived, and not a second too early.

The glow of his ring dimmed to nothing, his hair remaining the way it was. He boarded the train holding onto a handlebar at the end of the car. He smirked as he watched the train terminal fade from view.

'Let's not keep Miss Ayame waiting, shall we?' He thought to himself as he looked toward the ocean that was slowly coming into view.


	5. Housewarming

Ayame never spent much time with other males other than Ryuji Otogi. In fact, she never spent much time with other people other than him until she met Eri and Honoka two years ago. Even then, she spent the majority of her time with him. Her primarily singular relationship with only one other human made her the subject of rumors regarding her ability to socialize and her unusual relationship with Shogi Middle School's idol. Sumiko Hara would often express her concerns to her daughter about her lack of socializing with other students.

"We are social creatures, dear," she used to tell her daughter after Ryuji would drop her off at home. "We can't thrive in isolation."

With each instance her mother offered her well-intentioned advice, Ayame grew increasingly exasperated and offended. One day, Ayame unfortunately lost the control she tries to maintain for her proper mother.

"Why do you insist I'm isolated when I have Ryuji?!" she yelled, rising swiftly from the white leather loveseat with her hands clenched in fists firmly at her sides.

"Who are you without him, Ayame?" her mother replied, unphased by her daughter's sudden outburst. Her voice remained calm, unwavering. Her hands were folded over her lap. She looked up into her daughter's eyes, waiting patiently for an answer.

Ayame, conversely, was trembling with anger. Her nails slowly dug into her palms as she desperately tried to prevent her outward anger from escalating further. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly how it sounds," Sumiko said. "Who are you without Ryuji Otogi?"

"That's a stupid question, Mother," Ayame commented through gritted teeth.

"Watch your language, dear," Sumiko corrected, her eyes closing temporarily as she adjusted herself in the loveseat, noticing the small groan she earned from her daughter. She straightened her scrub pants and immediately returned her hands to their folded position on her lap.

"You cannot give me a rational answer when you're upset," her mother continued as she rose gracefully from the loveseat not looking at her daughter. "All I ask is that you give it some thought. We'll discuss it again when you've calmed down."

Ayame brought her clenched fists to her chest in an attempt to stop herself from yelling at her mother. Her eyes squeezed shut as her teeth clenched together. She was sure that she was holding her breath too.

Her mother, however, paid it no mind.

"I'm going to prepare dinner now," she said as she turned to walk toward the kitchen. "Please go wash up and finish your homework."

Ayame looked up to her mother and groaned loudly as she stormed upstairs to her room, where she remained locked in for the next two hours. If it were up to her, she would have remained there for the rest of the night. Unfortunately for her, she was still a minor living under her mother's roof and it wasn't up to her.

"Ayame, dear, open the door," her mother's muffled voice came through the wooden door after three gentle knocks. "Dinner will get cold."

"I'm not hungry, mother," she sniffled.

"Dear, open the door," Sumiko repeated in the same gentle tone.

Ayame sat on her bed with her legs pulled toward her body. Her arms secured them in their position. She laid her face in the crevice created between her knees. One by one, tears dropped onto her silky pink pajama pants, spreading quickly through the fibers to create almost lightning like patterns.

For the past seven of the twelve years of her life since meeting Ryuji Otogi, she clung to him. 'Like a lost puppy,' she concluded within the two hours she spent locked in her room. She looked to the homework she laid out on her desk with every intention to do it, but its importance was lost on her the moment she picked up her pencil. She thought back to all the people who ever wanted to be her friend during those years. None made an impression on her the way Ryuji did, and he gave her all the attention she desired, so she saw no need to make new friends. As far as she was concerned, he was all she needed.

But, what if he left? What if his game became the international success he dreams it will be? What if he gets a serious girlfriend? Where does that leave her?

"Leave me alone," she said in a whisper as another tear fell, the message not reaching her mother on the other side. However, the perceived lack of response didn't deter the raven-haired woman from continuing her efforts to reach her daughter.

Sumiko sighed, placing a perfectly manicured hand against the unfinished wooden door.

"As much as you want to hide away forever, you can't, believe me," Sumiko said, taking a deep breath to keep the anxiety from manifesting. "I don't want you to go the rest of your life relying on one person."

"We have to be able to stand on our own," she continued, choosing her words carefully. "But we also need others to rely on."

"A village thrives when everybody works together," she placed a hand on the door knob. "But a village is more than one or two people."

"Ayame," she said with a small smile spreading across her thin lips. "The world expands when you do. There are many different people who come from different backgrounds and enjoy different things. It's the variance in the human race that helps us to collectively move forward."

"So, please," she said with a smile, looking through the door as though she was looking directly into her daughter's eyes. "Open the door."

And she did.

When she did, she was greeted by the reality of her current situation. Expecting to see Sumiko's face, she was instead greeted by the white leather loveseat Ryuji helped her move into her new home the previous day. Boxes remained piled in stacks of three and four in random corners of the apartment. Aside from the menagerie of boxes, there was shelving, furniture, and appliances in the locations she specified to the movers. She felt a pang of embarrassment from what she perceived as clutter. She held the door open for the two boys. "Please come inside. I'm sorry about the mess."

"You just moved!" Honda pointed out.

Jonouchi was already in the door before Ayame could finish her invitation. The movement was surprising for her, especially since she was not used to people who did not share her high level of mannerism expectations. She looked to where he stood in the middle of the unit. His body seemed to hold many emotions, but only one seemed to be physically conveyed: calm; something she didn't expect to see from the rambunctious Katsuya Jonouchi.

"You know, I never thought I'd be back here," Jonouchi started as he looked out the sliding glass window of the balcony. "I thought that Uncle Kin got rid of the place when Aunt Hikari died."

Ayame closed the door after Honda walked in. She placed her handbag on a hook along with her hat. She removed her shoes and slipped on a pair of white house slippers. Honda followed suit and put on another pair of white house slippers. Jonouchi, however, simply donned his socks on the wooden laminate flooring.

She walked over and stood next to him, her keys still in her hand. "He said he couldn't bring himself to sell it," She said softly as she too admired the view of the ocean. She looked down at the keys in her hand and held it out to the blonde boy. "He's a pretty nostalgic person."

Jonouchi looked down at the keys and noticed the small photo of the couple. He picked up the keys and brought the picture close to his face.

"I want to enlarge the picture and frame it," she said with a smile as she put her hands behind her back. She rolled her feet to come up on her tiptoes and rolled back down planting her feet firmly on the floor. "I want to honor them. I'm fortunate to get to live here."

Still holding the keys, Jonouchi walked out onto the balcony without replying to her. Honda walked up next to Ayame and looked at her, his eyes asking if she wanted to follow him. She smiled to convey her answer as they both walked out onto the balcony. They took the spots on either side of the blonde, leaning on the railing. Ayame thought back to that morning and how Ryuji stood where Jonouchi now stood.

The trio stood there in silence for a minute before Jonouchi itched his nose and coughed. Ayame and Honda looked to him expecting him to begin speaking. Ayame didn't know him that well, but she felt that they were now connected through this apartment unit. 'This home,' she corrected herself mentally. She felt the need rise within her to form some sort of relationship with the boy. She thought that, by doing so, would help him as well. The home meant something to him, and she felt it her responsibility to make it available.

"My sister and I used to come here at least once a week," Jonouchi began, snapping Ayame out of her thoughts. "The elementary school is just a few blocks away, so Aunt Hikari would pick us up on her days off."

"Mom and Dad fought a lot. Home wasn't the best place to be," he continued, making efforts to be vague. He was not one to divulge, but being back in his aunt and uncle's apartment after almost a decade seemed to be peeling away the rug that hid the memories. He bit his bottom lip, and released it barely a second later. "I used to call Aunt Hikari to make them stop. She couldn't always, but she always took us with her."

Jonouchi chuckled. "Uncle Kin always made us ramen. We got so sick of having it every night, but, man, was it good, and he knew it. He'd make us admit it."

"He still does that, you know," Ayame laughed subtly, thinking back to when he made "on the house" ramen for her and Ryuji.

"Yeah, he knows he's good, that punk," he agreed, still looking out to the horizon.

"But," he continued now looking down at the walk-up building below. "He bolted the moment Aunt Hikari died. He buried her then left; didn't even say where he was going."

Jonouchi clenched his free fist and pounded the stainless steel railing they were leaning on, startling Ayame. "Just like that. His fiance dies, and he just runs away?!"

He took a deep breath to calm himself, and looked out to the horizon. "Maybe if he stuck around, I could have been living with him instead of my deadbeat dad."

"Jonouchi…" Ayame trailed looking at him.

Honda put a hand on Jonouchi's shoulder in comfort. "Don't do that to yourself, man."

He gritted his teeth. "I should hate that guy," he said, his fist slowly releasing tension. He sighed, allowing his body to release even more tension. His muscles relaxed under his denim jacket. "But, I can't bring myself to do it."

He shook his head, burying his feelings deep within himself, where they've lived undisturbed for years. Hopefully, it stayed there for another length of time. Those feelings dragged him down, something that his survivalist mentality couldn't afford.

"Anyway, what's for lunch, Ayame? I'm starving!" he proclaimed, plastering his signature smile on his face and walking back inside without saying another word to neither Ayame or Honda. They looked confused, with Ayame being significantly more so than the brunette boy. Honda walked over to her and put an elbow on her shoulder; something she was used to from all the taller males in her life.

"He never opens up like that," Honda said looking down at her. "It must be the apartment."

She looked into the house. Jonouchi was making a beeline between the tower of boxes straight toward the refrigerator. She chuckled and looked up at Honda. "You make it sound like it's haunted."

Honda scratched his head. "What I mean is, he's not normally like this. He usually keeps stuff about his family pretty private."

"I can relate," Ayame stated, still watching Jonouchi inside the home. He excitedly opened the refrigerator and started sifting through its contents. She smiled. "But, I'm glad he was able to get it out."

Just as the words left her lips, the cogs in her brain turned in high gear, flooding it with the thoughts she didn't want to address. As the thoughts came to the forefront of her mind, she pushed them back, but one thought screamed the loudest: would she be able to get it out too?

"Hey, Ayame, can I have this leftover mabo dofu?" Jonouchi yelled from inside, his eyes fixated on the styrofoam take-out container.

"Help yourself!" She called back, snapping out of her daydream. She wiggled out from under Honda's arm, allowing it to naturally collapse back down to his side. She smiled at him before going back inside to begin making lunch for herself, Honda, and Bakura, when he arrived.

And if she was being honest with herself, she hoped he did.

* * *

"I hope you don't mind egg salad and turkey sandwiches," Ayame smiled as she placed a tray of four crustless sandwiches cut in half vertically on the kotatsu along with a variety of fruits and cherry tomatoes. "I wasn't expecting company."

"Hey, I don't complain about free food," Honda laughed as he picked up one of the egg salad sandwiches and promptly put it into his mouth. He nodded his head as he swallowed the bite. "Not bad."

Jonouchi, on the other hand, finished the mapo dofu he just heated up. "This," he said pointing down to the plate. "This was delicious!"

Ayame laughed. "I wish I could take credit for that, but sadly my friend bought it from the Chinese restaurant down the street."

"Ryuji?" Honda questioned, already starting on his second sandwich; a turkey sandwich.

Ayame nodded as she picked up a cherry tomato and ate it. She loved cherry tomatoes. She loved how they were bite sized and usually sweet. This time was no different. She was glad that Ryuji packed up most of their refrigerator when he packed up the house. She smiled at the fruits as impressed as ever at her mother's ability to pick the sweetest fruits at the market.

Her smile dropped. _Her mother._

"You miss him?" Honda asked with a concerned tone, cocking his head ever so slightly to get a better look at her face.

Snapped out of her thoughts, she quickly looked up at him and smiled. "I do," she said, grateful for the opportunity to avoid bringing up the woman.

Jonouchi stood up and walked over to a small shelf that had already been unpacked and decorated. He was never one to get too emotional; he found that it had the potential to spiral… and with his life, it was a mindset he couldn't afford to be in. He looked at the menagerie of items displayed. It was a beacon of simple organization in a mess of displaced boxes. Each item was intentionally placed, with only a handful of items placed on each of the three shelves. The first shelf held two photographs.

The first was a picture of Ayame and her two friends Eri and Honoka after Eri won the regional Duel Monsters championship in Shogi City. Eri held a glass plaque proudly against her chest with two hands and a subtle smile. The picture did not do her pride justice. She wore a black leather jacket with a simple white shirt. Her long, wavy blonde hair was tied into a high messy ponytail. Her bangs covered one eye, and exposed the brilliant green of the other. Honoka, who was on the left, had a huge toothy grin plastered across her face as she sported a peace sign with her hand. The other arm was around Eri's shoulder. She wore her signature flowing navy blue off-the-shoulder top and silver cross pendant. Ayame, who was on the right, also sported a peace sign with a relaxed grin. She was wearing a green and white tennis uniform with "Shogi" written across the front. She had white wristbands and a matching headband with her hair up in a ponytail.

The next picture was of her and Ryuji in their black middle school winter uniforms. They were both second year middle school students. She was smiling wide as she held his midsection. He had one eye closed as he had one arm wrapped securely around her upper arm and the other giving a peace sign. Ryuji had short, choppy hair at the time… completely unrecognizable from the long-haired game inventor of the present. They were at Tsuru Park in front of the crane fountain as the snow fell around them.

Jonouchi picked up the photo and squinted at it. "Is this guy Ryuji?"

Ayame leaned slightly over the kotatsu to look around to where Jonouchi was. She nodded her head despite him not looking at her. "Yeah, that's him."

Jonouchi took the picture over to the table. He set it down and stared once again at it along with Honda. The story didn't sit right with the pair of friends. Jonouchi felt the need to investigate. "And you say this guy was never your boyfriend?"

"Nope," she denied simply.

"You two look pretty close in this picture; like boyfriend and girlfriend," he pointed out as he motioned to the picture with his head. Honda nodded in agreement.

"We got that a lot," she chuckled.

"Enough about that guy, though," she smiled. She made a mental note to find a different picture of her friend and her.

"Okay, um," Jonouchi started, thinking about another topic. "How about your parents?"

Her mouth soon became slightly ajar, in shock of the bombardment of personal questions. She closed her mouth soon after noticing the movement in her facial muscles. So much for laying low. The only question now was whether or not she wanted to be honest about her situation. The quick ticks of the seconds pushed the arguments around in her head until time seemed to stop. She sat down at the kotatsu _._

"It's always been just my mother and me," Ayame started with a deep breath. _Stay calm._

"But," she paused and lowered her chin, immediately grabbing the attention of both boys. It wasn't her intention, but the slight movement, she realized, was a dramatic one. "She's no longer here."

Honda shifted uncomfortably. "I'm… sorry."

She looked up. Her confused eyes met his sympathetic ones. She knew then that her choice of words was poor. "Oh no, she's not dead," she corrected quickly, attempting to prevent the air from getting heavier. "She's just… not around."

"So, you live here alone?" Jonouchi questioned further, still trying to figure this girl out.

She nodded. "Yes, with Uncle Kin's help."

"Gotcha," Jonouchi said. In reality, it made things more complicated for him. The more questions he asked, the bigger the mystery seemed to get for him. He decided that he was done asking questions.

"Oh, hey," Honda spoke up, catching both Ayame and Jonouchi's attention. "Bakura lives by himself too. I forgot what unit though…"

Jonouchi scratched his head. "Um…"

"I think it was 601," Honda said, slightly uncertain of his answer.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure it was 606," Jonouchi argued.

"No, I think it was 601," Honda concluded confidently. "His unit doesn't face the ocean. Only even numbered units do."

Jonouchi furrowed his eyebrows at the brunette. "And _you_ noticed this?"

Honda scoffed. "And _you_ didn't?"

Ayame chuckled at the scuffle forming. She was in awe of their friendship; they were more like siblings than her and Ryuji. At the same time, however, she was intimidated. If they were this close, what about the rest of their group? She looked down in thought. Would she fit in with their dynamic? Her thoughts soon wandered to Eri and Honoka. She looked at their photo together and gave it a nostalgic smile. Oh, how she missed them already.

She looked back to the pair who were now in each other's faces and grinned. 'If only for the moment,' she thought to herself, fighting her mind whispering negative connotations of being an outsider.

And for that moment, her apartment felt like a home.

* * *

"Are you sure Bakura is coming?" Jonouchi asked, eyeing the remaining two halves of both an egg salad and a turkey sandwich and cherry tomatoes. "Because if he's not, I call dibs on his food."

"Wow, man," Honda commented, not surprised in the slightest.

"What? I don't like wasted food," Jonouchi replied.

Honda shook his head. "I'm sorry he didn't make it, Ayame,"

She smiled and shook her head. "It's okay; he must have had a lot of errands," she excused. The truth was that she was disappointed. She hoped that the two boys would buy her play.

Ayame took the tray to the kitchenette and laid it down on the stove. She opened the box labelled "Kitchen" on the floor and pulled out a roll of wax paper. After rolling out an appropriate amount, she wrapped both sandwiches individually and sealed them with a strip of yellow star on blue background _washi_ tape, her guilty pleasure. She had an ungodly amount of various pattern _washi_ tape. When she wasn't buying clothes, she was buying that. She felt embarrassed by it, like an addiction she tried to hide. She replaced the star-patterned tape back in the clear box with the forty-odd other tapes. "Jonouchi, did you want the fruits too?" she called over to the blonde who was once again looking at the pictures on her shelf, specifically the photo of her friends.

"Huh?" he asked, snapping out of his thoughts and looking at her. Not that it mattered, since she wasn't looking at him. "Oh, no, just the sandwiches are fine, thanks."

"Hey, isn't that Ellia Wilson in this picture?" he inquired, focusing intently on the blonde girl in the photo.

Ayame placed the sandwiches in a plastic bag and walked over to him. "Yeah, she's one of my best friends back in Shogi City," she stated as she stopped next to Jonouchi in front of the photo.

"She's the Yamaki regional champion! Man, you gotta let me meet her!" he exclaimed, still looking at her picture. "It'd be awesome to get to duel her!"

Ayame laughed. "I'll let you know when she visits."

"Come on, man, time to go," Honda called impatiently from the door.

"All right, all right, I'm coming!" Jonouchi replied.

Ayame handed him the bag when he made the round toward the front door. Jonouchi took it with a smile. "Thanks for having us over, Ayame."

"Yeah, let us know if you need help unpacking," Honda added from the front door.

She nodded her head. "Thank you."

The two boys put their tennis shoes back on. Honda replaced the white house slippers respectfully on the shoe rack near the door. Ayame was pleasantly surprised at the action, taking Honda as another delinquent. In fact, her opinion of the two boys changed greatly from when she first saw them. They were not as she initially perceived, and she felt guilty for making quick judgements.

Honda opened the door and bowed slightly with Jonouchi, earning a bow in return from Ayame.

Then, the door closed.

She took in a deep breath and exhaled, partly glad that the visit was over. She walked over to a stack of three boxes closest to the door labelled bath, vanity, and towels, respectively. She took the rubber band off her wrist and tied her straight brown hair into a high ponytail, allowing her bangs to hang over her forehead. She was thankful that Ryuji made all the stacks low enough for her to remove without standing on her toes. She removed the box labelled bath from the stack and started to unpack the remaining contents and organized them in the washroom. When that was done, she immediately moved on to the next box. She continued that process for the next hour until all three boxes plus one from another stack were unpacked and organized.

She moved to start on the fifth box labelled school when a knock at the door stilled her hand and stopped her heart. Her immediate thought was that Bakura had finally arrived. It sent a surge of adrenaline through her veins which catapulted her to her feet and to the front door with a loud, "Coming!"

The hormonal response didn't allow for second thoughts, or even rational ones that tried to tell her that she could open the door and be greeted by somebody else entirely. Her adrenal gland continued to release the hormones throughout her bloodstream.

She opened the door to be met with the smiling face of the white-haired boy she waited three hours for.

"Bakura, you made it," she greeted with a smile.

"Yes," he replied with a similar smile. "I'm sorry that I'm late."

She shook her head. "No, don't be. You had errands."

She stepped to the side and invited him in. He gave a quick bow and entered the unit, removing his shoes at the door and replacing them with the white house slippers Honda wore earlier. When he stood up, he offered Ayame a simple white box. "A housewarming gift," he clarified.

She took the box and gave a small gracious bow. "You didn't have to. Thank you."

Bakura chuckled. "Well, it would be rude of me to come to your home empty-handed."

She shook her head again. "I'm just glad you made it."

Ayame led him to the sitting room and offered for him to sit where he felt comfortable, motioning to both the kotatsu and the white leather loveseat. He took the loveseat, sitting all the way to one side and resting his arm on the rest.

"I'm sorry, I gave Jonouchi the extra food," she apologized. "But I can make you something if you haven't eaten yet."

Bakura shook his head. "It's okay, I ate before I came," he said, which was a lie. Fortunately for the spirit of the ring, his possession of Ryo Bakura's body also numbed the feeling of hunger. That, and he didn't really care. It was very likely his host would feel the hunger when he returned to his unit. The total length of time he went without food had only been a few hours, which the spirit felt was a tolerable, safe amount of time.

"How about a drink?" Ayame said as she headed toward her kitchenette.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," he insisted. He looked up and out the window. "You definitely have a better view than I do."

She looked out and laughed. "That seems to be the topic of the day."

She returned with a glass of cold water for herself along with coasters woven from dried leaves called lauhala. It was a gift from her mother's last client, Mrs. Watanabe's, family who lived in Hawaii. Her mother cherished them for their simplistic beauty, and Ayame loved the delicate fragrance they gave off when wet from the glass's condensation. There was also the fact that they were from Hawaii. The exoticness of the item made it priceless to Ayame.

"When did Honda and Jonouchi leave?"

"About an hour ago," she replied as she set her glass on the woven coaster and sat seiza at the kotatsu.

"I see that I'm very late," Bakura chuckled.

She waved her hand in front of her face. "Please don't worry about it; you were busy."

Bakura chuckled as he adjusted himself in the seat causing the leather cushions to creak. It was probably Ayame's least favorite thing about the loveseat aside from how easy the white leather stained. However, her mother was always fond of the clean look of white.

And with that thought, she saw Sumiko sitting next to Bakura in her white nurse uniform with a smile on her face.

She blinked hard, clearing the image from her eyes. "Sorry, it's the dust," she excused as she looked out the balcony window.

"Oh, are you okay?" Bakura asks, looking at her eyes. They showed no signs of irritation, a sign that she was lying. He didn't call her on it though. After all, he too was not who he appeared to be.

"I'm fine," came her reply, completely devoid of emotion.

Bakura crossed his arms. "Forgive me, but I doubt that."

She looked back at the white-haired boy, her attention captivated by the straightforward statement. His arms were still crossed over his chest. His brown eyes pierced right through her as if he knew every secret she kept. It was her second day in Domino, and she already felt irrationally exposed. Fear slowly crept through her veins, initiating the need to excuse herself from the situation. If she did, where would she go?

She was trapped.

The small beads of sweat forming on her forehead did not fall on blind eyes. Bakura knew then that there was a bigger reason that she was in Domino. His curiosity piqued, he felt tempted to pry deeper into this girl's life; into the life of the girl who shocked a distant, obscure memory back into his seemingly singular existence. Then again, that same girl was on the verge of an anxiety attack. And if he wanted to know more, he needed her comfortable.

She needed to talk to his host.

He uncrossed his arms and waved his hands in front of his chest. "Ah, I'm sorry, that was quite forward!"

He kept his gaze on her, though his eyes have softened dramatically. He watched her begin to relax, the adrenaline slowly leaving her body. She mustered a smile and shook her head. "No, I'm sorry; I'm not sure what came over me."

Bakura smiled sympathetically. "It's hard being in a new city."

She nodded in agreement. "Harder than I thought."

"I can sympathize," He said, maintaining his smile. "I'm still fairly new as well."

She let out the breath that she didn't know she was holding, his words comforting her ever so slightly. While the fact screamed to her that she wasn't the only new person in Domino, Ayame could not see past the emotional cloud that blinded her. And the longer she sat there talking to Bakura, the more she realized she was trapping herself.

Her mother would be so disappointed.

And there she was again, right next to Bakura. Ayame debated kicking him out for triggering these hallucinations.

"So, um," Bakura started, adjusting himself in the seat yet again. The look of discomfort plastered itself upon his soft features. "Where are your parents?"

She broke eye contact with the boy and directed her attention to the sweating glass of water. "It's just me," she stated quickly, startling Bakura.

Or at least, that was how the spirit felt his host would react.

Ayame adjusted herself to allow the blood to flow through her legs that had slowly grown numb. She also thought it would prevent her from further snappy comments.

"I'm sorry," she apologized solemnly. "I live alone."

"It used to be my mother and me, but she's not around," Ayame continued. "And I don't think she'll be back for a while."

Thank goodness Jonouchi and Honda arrived before he did. It gave her time to craft a response more appropriate for somebody who seemed more keen to direct answers.

"I'm sorry; that must be hard."

Her blue eyes shifted their gaze toward the window. "Soon it won't be," she stated, her voice dripping with hurt. She realized how easily her words could be twisted. Suddenly she regretted reading all those crime drama novels. She shifted again, this time out of anxiety. Her gaze remained fixed on the glistening of the ocean. "That is, I'm sure it gets better with time."

Bakura smirked ever so slightly.

And there was his in.

"You know what helped me when I started living on my own?" He started optimistically. The spirit prided himself in being able to imitate his host almost impeccably. Almost. However, his acting was based solely on the situation. In this situation, he needed information, because if there was one thing the spirit hated, it was ignorance.

Ayame turned her head to face him, her curiosity piqued.

"I delved into a hobby," he stated with a smile. "Monster World, specifically. It's a board game."

Her eyes lit up. "Monster World?"

"Have you heard of it?"

She smiled and nodded. "I've only played a handful of times, but it was how I met one of my best friends."

Bakura's eyes perked up. "What a coincidence! It's how I really bonded with Yugi and the others."

"I bet it's a great story," Ayame said.

Bakura chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "You could say that."

Not really, at least not from the spirit's perspective.

Ayame took a sip of her water and returned the cup to the coaster, the faint scent of the hydrated leaves floating toward her. Her body relaxed even more in reaction to the aromatherapy. She made a mental note to make friends who travel frequently to Hawaii. An unrealistic expectation, but the thought brought a faint smile to her lips.

Bakura stood up and straightened his jeans. "I hate to leave so soon, but I'm afraid I have prior commitments."

Ayame stood as well. She did her best to hide the disappointment on her face. She had hoped he would have stayed as long as Jonouchi and Honda had. Because, despite both herself and Bakura acknowledging that they have not met previously, he still felt familiar. However, she felt investigation into that matter to be a moot point. She wondered if that was just part of his charm.

She managed a smile as she walked over to the door. "No, I understand."

He walked over toward her, but not before stopping by the kitchen counter where she placed the white box containing his housewarming gift. He smirked at the opportunity presented to him.

"Oh, Ayame?" Bakura called to her as he shuffled over with the white cardboard box.

He opened it and pulled out a purple crystal cluster. The base of the cluster was a black stone, not much different from any ordinary rock. The stone bore a gradient of clear white which slowly transformed to a vibrant purple. Ayame's mouth hung slightly ajar, enamored in the stone's raw beauty. She covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers to preserve her dignity. Her mother always told her that gawking was rude.

"This is an amethyst," he introduced looking at the geode with satisfaction. "It's known for its calming properties. I figured, well, with all the changes in your life, you could use some calm."

He diverted his attention from the stone to Ayame, who remained entranced by it. He didn't blame her. Especially with the way the sun rays shone through her window, it make it sparkle more. When he noticed she wasn't looking at him, he looked back to the stone in his hand. Little did she know, however, the stone had other benefits and uses. The spirit smirked.

"Bakura…" Ayame breathed. "It's beautiful."

"It serves its purpose best in the sitting room in a central location," he explained as he looked around for a suitable location for his gift. "Maybe near those photographs?"

Ayame nodded in agreement looking toward the small shelf with two pictures atop it.

She reached to take the stone from his hands only to jolt them away just as fast after her fingers gently brushed his palms as the familiar sensation of heat and electricity seemed to have flowed from him to her, exciting the nerve endings in her arms and up to her face. The geode fell to the ground, colliding with the laminate flooring and leaving a dent. The geode, however, was undamaged, much to Ayame's relief. "I'm so sorry; that was clumsy of me," Ayame apologized.

Bakura bent down and reached for the geode. Again, their hands collided, but this time, the electricity was stronger. She fell back onto her backside and looked up to Bakura confused. The event that she initially perceived as an electrical discharge was not behaving as one, frustrating her.

Three times.

That's how many times she shocked the white-haired boy that day. Was it all really due to his wool sweater generating electricity? She looked down to his white socks. Were his socks wool too? She stared at him as if he grew a horn, but only for a second until her attention was then shifted to her hands.

"I…" Bakura started. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure why that's happening."

"You and me both. It doesn't make sense," She scoffed with a smile. "I mean, any static from your sweater should have discharged already, and I don't have carpet..."

Bakura reached over to the geode, grasping it firmly in his grip. "I wouldn't read too much into it."

He placed the stone between the two pictures. He didn't pay too much attention to the photographs. He turned his head back to Ayame who continued to look at her hands. "Is here good?"

She looked over and smiled. "It's perfect."

He placed his hands in his pockets. "I'll be on my way then."

"Wait," Ayame said, stopping him from taking his first step toward the front door. "I just wanted to thank you again for the gift, and for stopping by."

Bakura offered her a sincere smile. His host's signature smile, as the spirit referred to it. "You're welcome, Ayame."

"Say," he started, grabbing her attention. "Would you like to walk to school on Monday? It can be complicated, especially with the train transfers."

She smiled, her heart filling with happiness at the prospect of making yet another friend.

"Sure, I'd appreciate that, Bakura."

If the spirit wasn't imitating his host, he would have sported a smirk. The new information he acquired intrigued him.

"Splendid," he remarked. "Meet me at my unit Monday morning at 6:30. Unit 601."

"I'll see you then," she confirmed as she opened the door.

"Yes," he confirmed as well as he slipped his sneakers back on his feet. "I look forward to it."

She nodded as he greeted her farewell and closed the door. She placed a hand upon the door, her smile not leaving her face. She turned and walked back toward the fifth box and continued to unpack it. She repeated the suit on the rest of the boxes in the unit.

And when she finally finished at 9:18pm, she looked at the amethyst in awe as the light from the kitchen hit the facets perfectly and produced a shimmer. She smiled at the memory of Bakura placing the stone on the shelf.

Two days until she saw him again, and she couldn't wait.


	6. Memory Lapses

Every spring, exactly two weeks before school on a Saturday, Sumiko Hara took her daughter shopping for the new school year. It was a tradition they had since the first day of preschool, and she never deviated. Sumiko thrived on strict schedules, and shopping never lasted more than two hours, mostly in part to her night shifts on the weekends.

For as long as Ayame could remember, they always shopped in a specific order: uniforms, bag, then supplies. Sumiko's reasoning was that all the stores were located down the street in that order. Even as new, trendy stores began appearing in different parts of town, Sumiko never deviated from that order.

Two years ago, when Ayame turned fourteen, she asked her mother if she could do the shopping on her own during breakfast on that Saturday morning. She unintentionally gripped the stainless steel fork a little harder causing the tips of her fingers to display an ever so slight gradient of red to white. Her eyes looked up from the meal in front of her to find her mother not looking at her at all. Ayame's chest tightened, guilt slowly building up.

Using her black lacquer chopsticks, Sumiko brought a bite of rice to her mouth, seemingly unphased by her daughter's request. Her soft eyes looked up to her daughter's to notice little red veins surfacing. Ayame was biting her lower lip just a bit as she searched for an answer from her mother. Sumiko smiled.

"I knew you would ask one day," she said.

Ayame released her lip. "You did?"

Her mother nodded as she laid her chopsticks on the small redwood rest. She folded her hands over the cloth napkin on her lap, not once shifting her attention away from her brunette daughter.

"And you're not mad?" the girl questioned again.

Her mother shook her head.

The truth was, Sumiko was silently grieving. Grieving the thought of the end of a tradition. Grieving the thought of her daughter growing the thought of her bond with her daughter slowly withering.

The third one scared her the most.

She took a small breath in through her nose, and released it through her nose as well. "You're growing up, my dear," she explained. "It's a beautiful sight."

It wasn't a lie, yet the truth still tugged at the edges of her heart. Her daughter was growing up, and while Sumiko marveled in the journey, she wanted time to stop. Ayame was changing physically, mentally, and emotionally, as they both knew would happen, but only the raven-haired woman was more keen to the subtleties.

Nonetheless, it was happening too fast.

Ayame's face blushed. "Mom," she bashfully exaggerated, "Stop."

And yet, parts of her daughter remained.

Sumiko took the last few bites of her food and folded the napkin on her lap, placing it on the dining table neatly in an open space below her white ceramic mug. Ayame finished the same time and followed the same suit, but instead placed her napkin below her sweating glass of water on the lauhala coaster. The aroma brought subtle smiles to their faces.

The mother and daughter cleared the table in the same order as always: plates, bowels, cups, utensils, then napkins. Sumiko felt her thin lips turn up into a smile.

Ayame got dressed as Sumiko tidied the kitchen. Within half an hour, Ayame came down the stairs dressed in a light blue midi skirt, a fitted white t-shirt, and light brown booties with a one-inch heel. She left her mid-back length brown hair down, and wore only mascara and a light pink lip tint. When her mother smiled at her, she knew her modest fashion choices paid off.

Sumiko removed the yellow rubber gloves from her hands and walked over to her wallet and pulled out 30,000 yen, handing it respectfully to her daughter, who took it in a similar manner, but with a bow and a 'thank you.'

"Will you be going with Ryuji?" Sumiko asked as she watched Ayame put the money into her wallet.

Ayame shook her head and replaced the wallet back into her purse, zipping it closed. "I'll be going with my new friend, Honoka."

"Ah," Sumiko exclaimed quietly. "The girl from Mr. Clown's shop last week?"

"Yeah, that's her," Ayame smiled at her mother.

Sumiko nodded her head with an exaggerated blink. "Be safe, dear, and be mindful of your budget."

Ayame laughed. "Don't worry, Mother, I've shopped with you enough to know how to buy my school items."

At least, that was the goal Ayame set for herself. She was also not prepared for Honoka's materialistic tendencies and larger budget. The hands of capitalism gripped poor Ayame Ishida hard as temptation seemed to reach for every last coin in her wallet. And, by the time she realized the damage done, her railcard was rejected again for the umpteenth time resulting in her walking the equivalent of two stations home, shamefully looking at the receipts in her hand.

It was then that her terrible spending habit formed.

Two years later, nothing has changed, and no matter how many times she runs out of money, she always does it again… especially if the reason for her running out of money was to buy a cell phone and a crystal heart phone charm.

"Anzu, I have a problem," Ayame started, gloom spreading over her delicate features as she trudged toward the train station. She had the receipt for the phone and charm in her hand.

86,300 yen.

Her heart sank even deeper into her abdomen, and she was sure that it would eventually fall out of her body. _Is that even possible?_

On top of that, the monthly bill was almost 5000 yen.

Anzu laughed. "Or just very expensive taste."

Ayame sighed as she shoved the receipt into her light pink crossbody faux-leather purse. She pulled out the similarly colored phone. She flipped the screen open to be greeted by the time displayed prominently in black and white.

86,300 yen.

She closed the phone and returned it to her bag. Maybe she would feel differently about the expensive device later. But, if she knew herself, she probably wouldn't for a while. It was something she accepted about herself, and it was also something she wondered why she wouldn't change about herself.

Alas, old habits certainly died hard.

"A cell phone will change your life," Anzu continued. "It makes getting a hold of people so much easier. I mean, I'm the only one in our group with one, but I can call my mom when my plans change."

Any progress Ayame's heart made to climb back up to its proper location in the chest was wasted time, because her heart sank even deeper into her body. She was more than sure it was in her navel. Maybe it went up to her head, because she felt the beats up there too. Perhaps it broke in two and migrated in opposite directions?

She slowly felt anger creep from the portion of her heart that went south like water boiling at the thought of a mother. Of her mother. Of Sumiko Hara. She looked away from Anzu as they continued to walk in the direction of the train station.

Unbeknownst to Ayame, Anzu was more perceptive than that.

Anzu inhaled, the question slowly creeping onto her tongue readying to be asked, but her logic closed the exit. It was as if the air surrounding Ayame grew heavy, like a thick fog shielding her fragile state. A defense mechanism, if Anzu ever saw one. How badly she wanted to ask what the reason was for the sudden wall. How badly she wanted to hang out with the girl from fifteen minutes ago.

Anzu abstained.

Ayame remained quiet the rest of the way to the uniform shop, her head heavy with a menagerie of feelings intertwining and knotting, overpowering and underwhelming. The mess of colors clouded the film of memories playing deep in the recess of her mind. All she heard was mumbles and all she saw were shadows in a grayscale gradient. Another defense mechanism.

The silence lingered for another minute, then another minute, until Anzu gripped the thick handles of her handbag a little tighter. Discomfort grew within her, and Anzu didn't do well remaining quiet. Something inside her screamed that Ayame needed her light. It reasoned that she was silently crying for help.

Anzu acknowledged.

"Hey, you can talk to me, you know," Anzu put out hesitantly. "We're friends now."

 _Friends_. Ayame smiled at the thought that in a matter of a few days, she already made friends. In a matter of two hours, one of those friends acknowledged her as a friend as well. They were shopping together, laughing together, and soon they were about to have lunch together. She thought back to times she spent with her friends back home.

With Honoka and Eri.

With Ryuji.

And now, with Anzu.

Ayame smiled at her friend, the joy warming her heart and reeling it back to its natural location. "Thank you."

Anzu laughed. "Are you really thanking me?"

"When you ask that, it really does sound ridiculous, doesn't it?" Ayame replied, genuinely joining in Anzu's laughter.

When her laughter subsided, she let out a mental sigh. She had succeeded in breaking Ayame's wall, at least for now… at least that's what she wanted to believe. Regardless of the appearance, Anzu was relieved to once again have positive conversations with the long-haired brunette. It left her wondering, though, what had caused the sudden change in mood? _A thought for another time._

"Hey, let's get a bite to eat before we head to the uniform shop," Ayame suggested. "Know any good restaurants?"

Anzu smirked, playfully. "Girl, I know all the good places to eat."

* * *

Appetites satiated and 31,400 yen more spent on uniforms and matching accessories, the pair walked to the train station with large white paper bags firmly gasped in either hand. Uniforms to last the week for two seasons, especially the wool pieces, weighed heavy in their hands that left red marks made visible when they shifted the bags.

"You doing okay, Ayame?" Anzu inquired, keeping in mind her friend's post-spending guilt. This time, however, Ayame looked fine. In fact, she looked better than fine, which only confused Anzu.

Ayame flashed a smile. "It's a bit heavy, but I'm fine."

"I know!" Anzu exclaimed in agreement with an exaggerated sigh. "I feel bad that my mom carried most of the school purchases now."

A knot formed in Ayame's throat. _Mom._

"I'm sure she just didn't want you to have to carry it," Ayame responded, almost automatically. Almost instinctively. It was, in fact, the reason her mother carried most of their purchases. It was familiar and an easy answer.

Anzu chuckled. "She is a bit endearing."

"Most mothers are," came another automatic response, faster than Ayame could think about it… and it scared her. She was losing her control.

Anzu stopped walking, steps away from the gate, the response catching her off guard. Could that have been the reason Ayame was so affected earlier? She bit her lower lip slightly in an attempt to contain her guilt that stemmed from her perceived insensitivity to Ayame's situation.

"I'm so sorry," Anzu apologized, putting her bags on the ground. She put her hands together as if in prayer, pleading. "I keep talking about my mom without considering what happened to your's."

Ayame felt a similar wave of guilt rush over her. Guilt because she worried her friend for the second time today. Guilt because she had to lie to more people. Guilt because she hated her mother for making her do that. The guilt slowly turned into anger, festering like an infected wound.

She took a deep breath. _Just like Mother used to_.

"No, please, it's okay," Ayame started. She thought briefly of what she had already told Jonouchi, Honda, and Bakura. She had to keep her stories straight. At that moment, she was glad she was vague. "She's just not around, but it's fine, really!"

Anzu put her hands down, and sighed, still feeling absolutely horrible.

Ayame pushed her false state of mind in an attempt to both relieve Anzu and herself. The faster she was able to get herself out of this situation, the better for her. It was a good day, and she preferred that it end that way. She put down her bags and reached for Anzu's hands, grasping them firmly, and frankly shocking both of them at the sudden physical contact.

"It's really okay, Anzu, really," Ayame repeated, for her friend, but most for herself.

Anzu smiled and gripped her hands in confirmation. "I believe you," she said looking straight into Ayame's blue eyes.

Ayame returned the smile. _Thank God._

They both picked their bags back up and passed through the gates without trouble. Ayame chuckled at the green light that notified her that she had money on her card. Ryuji ensured that she had more than enough money on her card before he left, but left the amount undisclosed. Two days and now five train rides later, she had yet to check the amount. She should probably check that. _Maybe tomorrow._

And with that thought, she knew Ryuji would have scolded her.

As they walked into the station, the intercom announcing the arrivals and departures of trains became more audible; a sign that their girl's day adventure was coming to an end.

At the junction where the two would go their separate ways, Anzu turned to her friend. "I know I sound like a broken record, but if you ever need an ear, I'm a phone call away."

Ayame nodded and motioned her hip to tilt her purse slightly, acknowledging the mobile phone that is contained inside. "I will."

She knew that she probably wouldn't, but it would have been rude to reject the offer. After all, her mother taught her better than that. The knot reformed in her throat, and the rays of anger quickly started sparking again… and again with the loss of control. It scared her, and it was something she immediately felt that she needed to talk with Ryuji about.

"Oh," Anzu quickly recalled, snapping Ayame from her thoughts. "Do you know the route to get to school tomorrow? I think you have a few transfers."

"Bakura offered to walk with me," Ayame replied with a smile. It was, after all, a plan she had been looking toward.

Any expression of happiness on Anzu's face quickly faltered at the mention of Bakura's name. "You know, Jonouchi wasn't joking about his fan club."

"I've dealt with fan clubs before," Ayame responded, confidently, yet nonchalantly. If she could handle Ryuji's fan club, she thought, any fan club that Bakura may have was going to be easy. At least, that was her hope… but maybe she was being too confident.

After all, confidence was key.

* * *

The night seemed endless, and no matter how many times Ayame Hirata closed her eyes, they only stayed closed for an hour. Every hour, on the hour, or at least that's the average she tracked. Eventually, at 4:38am, she gave up.

By 5:01am, she was washed.

By 5:22am, she was styled.

By 5:32am, she was dressed.

5:33am.

5:34am.

Thirty seconds.

She looked out her window, hoping that the sun would at least start to peak.

No such luck.

She made her way to the kitchen where her mobile phone was charging on the counter. She flipped the screen open to be greeted by a yellow light and black text reminding her again of the time.

5:36am.

She sighed as she closed the phone screen. She looked at the other end of the counter, looking for inspiration or an activity. She could eat. There was cereal on the counter that she brought over from home. Bran. It was her mother's favorite. She looked at her keys that were hung on a wall hook which had the picture of Uncle Kin and Hikari. She could call Uncle Kin. He's usually up early preparing his famous broth. She took the keys off the hook and looked closely at the picture, especially at the beautiful blonde woman.

Hikari Jonouchi. She looked exactly like her nephew.

And then it hit the brunette.

Without a second thought, she grabbed her keys and phone, storing them promptly in the pocket of her heavy pink wool coat.

"How hard can it be to find yellow chrysanthemums?"

* * *

Ayame sat in front of the Jonouchi family tombstone at Happo Cemetery, legs tucked under her, stiff from the cold, but also stiff from shame. She clenched a now dirtied pink rag in her hand that she used to wipe the tombstone. It was a simple, unpolished memorial splotched with black throughout its slate grey color. She did her best to wipe off the moss, but it still didn't make her feel any better.

She sat before a stranger. A dead stranger. But to Ayame, Hikari Jonouchi sat in front of her clear as day. As thoughts raced through her head, she wondered if Hikari could hear them from the other side.

Would she be mad that Ayame couldn't find the yellow chrysanthemums?

Would she be mad that it took Ayame a few days and a bad night's sleep to visit?

She looked up to see the image of the blonde woman was no longer in front of her. All that remained was the neglected tombstone and pink chrysanthemums. She put her hands together, clapped twice, and bowed her head. In her mind, she whispered a prayer and a promise.

"Let's get to know each other."

Her head remained bowed for at least a minute. She wanted to say more. Instead, her mind and mouth stayed silent. And when it quieted, she felt at peace. The cold tickled her face and the wind grazed her hair. And it all felt calm.

She looked back up. The sun was just starting to peak above the ocean horizon, glittering the dark sky with bursts of orange. Its light slowly crept upon the paved walkway and upon all the gravestones, both lacquered and bare. Forgetting she was in a cemetery, she thought the sight was beautiful.

She looked at her phone. 6:12am. If she left now, she would arrive back at her unit by 6:24am. She could grab her bag, maybe a milk pudding or two, and get to Bakura's unit exactly on time. She promptly returned the phone to her pocket. She looked back to the Jonouchi family gravestone and smiled. Uncle Kin loved her for a reason, and Ayame swore that she felt something warm graze her cheek. Against her better logic, spirits weren't real. Energies weren't real. But, at that moment, maybe…

"Can I call you Aunt Hikari?"

* * *

6:29am.

Ayame stood in front of Bakura's door with one minute to spare. With most of her fly-aways tamed, two vanilla yogurts in hand, and a single sweat being held back by her hairline, she thought briefly about not knocking at his door. Why? She didn't know. Well, she did know, but it was hard to put all her reasoning into words. Emotions registered as words. Nervous. Doubt. Excited. Anxiety. Her hand refused to move, and she was sure her heart was telling it not to.

But her mind was stronger.

She rolled her hand into a fist and knocked on the door one time, much harder than she anticipated. She quickly retracted her hand and took in a deep breath. _Lightly._ And she knocked three more times; a normal number of knocks in her opinion.

Regret. Run. Excited. Too late.

Then she waited.

"Just a minute, please!"

Ayame remained silent behind the door. Her fist relaxed at her side as she took a deep breath. If Bakura saw her anxious, it would spark another deep conversation, and Ayame was not ready to talk more about her life. It was too much of a glimpse into her truth, another part of her that she wanted to remain buried. The longer it lay buried, maybe the fear would dissipate and the problem as well.

The two locks soon unlatched and the heavy white door opened revealing the white-haired boy she'd been thinking about for the past two days dressed in Do. _Too late._ A nervous smile crept on her face. "Hi, Bakura."

But when Bakura's face turned to that of confusion, suddenly Ayame wished she had listened to those feelings her heart was trying to tell her. It was times like these that she hated her mind.

"Ayame? What can I do for you?"

"You asked me to meet you at 6:30 so you could show me how to get to school."

"I… did?"

Bakura's face dropped. Ayame's heart sank. Did she remember what he said right? No, he definitely said to meet him. She pressed on, because she was sure he made the plans.

"Yes, two days ago." There was no time to second-guess herself. After all, her mother always told her that second-guessing is a downward spiral. But, her mother was in jail now. How can she have any credibility? _And there it is. She was right._

Guilt spread across his delicate features. _It happened again_.

"I'm terribly sorry," he started, refusing to look into her eyes. "I sometimes have memory lapses."

Bakura stepped to the side and opened his door wider. "Please come inside. I made tea."

She thanked him, bowed, and entered his unit. She removed her shoes and slipped on a pair of white house slippers near the door. He had several pairs of white slippers, all relatively brand new. The detail intrigued her. A closer look showed that he had five, including the ones she wore on her feet. Maybe a pair for each of his friends. However, the fact that they looked new told her two things: he's a clean freak, or his friends don't visit often. The second thought saddened her, but also reminded her that she can be quite negative if her thoughts are left on their own.

His apartment was also fairly empty. Similar to her unit, it was a one bedroom. However, his bed and desk were in the living area. She looked to where the bedroom was. What could be in there?

"I made oolong tea. Is that okay with you?" Bakura asked as he poured himself a cup from the kettle, also white.

She nodded her head as she took a seat at his small, two seated table. "Sure, I like oolong."

A small smile crept upon his face. He pulled another cup from the cupboard and poured her a cup. "Do you take sugar?"

"No, thank you," she replied, looking at the two yogurts in her hand. "I brought an extra yogurt, if you'd like."

"Thank you, I'll bring out spoons," he responded, carefully bringing the two warm mugs to the table. He placed one in front of her and one where he would be sitting. He returned to the kitchen and brought two small spoons, placing one in front of her and one by himself.

She placed the yogurt in front of him and proceeded to clap her hands together. He followed suit, and together they gave thanks for their meal. At the same time, they removed the aluminum tops from their yogurts and took a bite.

They ate and drank in silence for a few minutes. The silence made Ayame uncomfortable. She took smaller bites. She ate slower. Occasionally, she'd look up to see what Bakura was doing. She found him just as uncomfortable as her. The awkward energy filled the space between them, suffocating her. How long had they really been sitting there? She wanted to reach for her phone to check, but she could hear her mother telling her that would be bad manners.

"What's it like to have memory lapses?"

Bakura shot his head up, taken aback by the question. He stared at her scared like he had been put on the spot.

"Well, it's hard to describe, really," he trailed off, though not intentionally. He never had to put into words what it was like. But he ran a few lines in his head, and none of them made any logical sense. Maybe it wasn't meant to be logical; it just had to make sense. "It's like waking up, but not realizing you fell asleep."

He looked down to his yogurt, still half full. "I don't know until somebody tells me I did something I don't remember doing."

He looked back up to Ayame. "Or that I said something."

"That sounds scary," Ayame commented as she put her spoon down. "I'm sorry that you have to go through that."

"I can't say that I'm used to it, but," he trailed off again. He was used to it. He knew he was used to it. Though, it hasn't happened in a few months since the end of Duelist Kingdom. He was scared, and the fear showed. The question begged, was _he_ back? He placed his hand on his chest, feeling the gold pendant under his jacket. _He has to be gone._

She pulled her phone from her pocket and opened it. 7:02am. They still had at least an hour before school started, but then again, she wasn't sure how long it would take for her to get to school. Two transfers between their complex and Domino High School. That was the extent of her knowledge. For a city as large as Domino, she thought they would have at least two high schools like in Shogi.

How big was Domino High School?

"How long does it take to get to school from here?" she asked. She really couldn't stand the thick air.

"Maybe thirty minutes? I'm sorry, I never timed it. I usually go early."

 _Maybe thirty minutes?_

She smiled and stood from her chair. "How early do you like to go?"

"School starts at 8:40am, and I'm usually there around 8:00am," he explained.

"Do you mind if we go a little earlier than that today? I have to meet with the principal and go over my paperwork."

He nodded. "I don't mind at all."

Bakura stood up and began to gather the breakfast items. He washed the tea cups and spoons. Ayame, on the other hand, stood near the kitchen unsure of what she could do to help. A part of her didn't want to ask if she could help. She felt uncomfortable. He seemed different than two days ago.

The confidence, gone.

The extroversion, gone.

She couldn't put her finger on it. It made absolutely no sense to her. Could he be something of a sleepwalker? Is there a switch that changes his masks? The only thing she knew was that this Bakura was not the one she met then. Not one bit.

"Can I ask you something?" She blurted.

Bakura turned his attention from the dishes he was washing in the sink. "Yes?"

She gulped. "Do you remember stopping by my unit at all?"

He hung his head. "To be honest, I don't know which unit is yours."

Bakura turned off the water and wiped his hand on a towel. Guilt rushed over him with streaks of shame. She was really putting him in an uncomfortable spot. He told her that he had memory lapses. This was just another example, yet she was pushing him, more than anybody ever pushed him to remember an event that occurred during his memory lapse.

He had yet to decide if he appreciated it or not.

After all, it made him uncomfortable.

Ayame hung her head. "Oh, I see."

Bakura felt a pang of guilt when her expression changed, as he normally did when he couldn't explain those periods of time. He debated. Should he press to find what happened? He looked at the spoons in his sink. He thought of the yogurt she brought for them. He thought back to the girl with the big hat crying at the train station. Maybe she was lonely, just like he was. Maybe she was looking for friends after being uprooted, just like he was.

She was just like him.

"We have a little bit before we leave," he started as he placed the cleaned dishes on a drying mat. "Can you tell me about what happened two days ago?"

Ayame looked up, shocked, but that shock was soon replaced with happiness. Perhaps she spoke too soon. She nodded her head as they took their old places at the table.

* * *

8:04am.

Bakura gauged the time it took to get to school fairly accurately. The school, however, was not as empty as Ayame expected it to be almost half an hour before classes were set to start. She chalked it up to the reason that things were slower paced in Shogi.

She especially didn't take notice of the group of three girls waiting anxiously in front of the gate. They all had their eyes fixated on the road Bakura and Ayame were walking on. It was like they were waiting for somebody to walk up that road at any given moment.

If she did take notice, she would have known they were looking at her and not the road..

A girl long, wavy black hair lifted herself from the brick wall she was leaning on and motioned for the other two girls to follow. The two staggered behind her, like lackeys. They held little expression as they followed. The girl with black hair, however, walked proudly in front. Confidence radiated from every pore on her body, her purple eyes glittering with happiness.

This was usually the best part of her day, but not today.

She stopped dead in her tracks and glared at the brunette walking with Ryo Bakura. Her Ryo Bakura. She was too close to him, and she looked content chatting with him. About what? She didn't know, nor did she care. When she saw him equally content with the company and conversation, her heart dropped.

Not her Ryo Bakura.

"Nozomi, what's wrong?" The shorter girl with a brunette pixie cut asked, taking a step forward to get a better look at her friend with jet-black hair, concern painted clearly all over her face.

"Use your eyes, Yuko," The tall blonde girl with hair tied back in a ponytail snapped as she motioned with her head toward Bakura and Ayame. "We have a problem."

Nozomi looked up to the blonde. "There's no problem, Rei."

Rei looked down to Nozomi, who was a head shorter than her. Nozomi was unusually calm, which is not what Rei has come to expect when any girl is around Bakura. She looked back to see Bakura coming closer, his attention still on the brunette with her long hair tied in a loose braid on one side of her chest, coming down just below the breast.

She was a threat. She threatened the system she carefully constructed around Ryo Bakura. She threatened her place as his protector. She threatened her own sense of stability.

But Nozomi Tanaka had a kind heart.

Nozomi smiled as she placed one hand on her hip. "Ryo just made a new friend. Let's introduce ourselves to her."

Yuko looked up at her friend. "You want to make friends with her?"

The question earned a chuckle from the purple-eyed girl.

"Yes, Yuko," Nozomi replied without sparing the pixie a glance. Her eyes remained fixed on the white-haired boy, who only then noticed her. His smile dropped, earning a smile from her in response. "If Ryo likes her, I will too."

Rei and Yuko looked at each other, confused. The reaction was unusual. They looked back to see that both Bakura and Ayame were now looking at the group. In a few more steps, the pair stopped in front of the group. Yuko looked up to Nozomi, who sported a big smile, bigger than any other time. It scared the pixie. Rei, on the other hand, kept her attention on Ayame.

"Good morning, Ryo," Nozomi greeted.

Bakura smiled gently, but nervously, in response.

Nozomi turned her attention to Ayame. She maintained the same smile that she gave Bakura. "I've never seen you before."

Ayame smiled and bowed slightly. "I just moved to Domino. I'm Ayame Hirata."

Nozomi cocked her head slightly to the side. The side of her mouth curled up slightly into a smirk. "So it's your first day, then?"

"Yes, and I'm pretty nervous to be honest," she laughed. _Be personable._

"Don't worry," Nozomi assured, grabbing her hands and pulling them close to her chest. Ayame stumbled forward slightly at the sudden action. "You'll be fine."

* * *

 **Notes**

I'm ashamed to say that, in light of being isolated due to the COVID-19 outbreak, I was inspired to finish this chapter. I started writing this in January of 2019. (That's over a year ago)! I was so touched to see that sporadically throughout the year, this story was still being favorited, watched, and reviewed. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for nudging me so ever so slightly. I hope to keep this story coming, and hope that you all are ready.

I'd also like to thank all those out there working during this crisis. To all the healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, maintenance workers, restaurant owners, National Guardsmen, and all other essential workers; you are the true heroes. Thank you for being on that front line.

Readers, stay safe and be healthy. We'll get through this together.


	7. First Day

Shogi High School. It didn't have as many cherry blossoms as Tsume High School did. The singular building was dated, flat, and a bleak ivory color; there was nothing interesting about it, whereas Tsume High had beautiful red bricks and European-inspired architecture. There was another thing it didn't have: Ryuji Otogi. To Ayame, that was the most important part.

Sumiko took a picture of her daughter in front of the school sign with the cherry blossoms in full bloom in the back. Expecting Ayame to be excited for her first day, she noticed only the pale color of depression. Her daughter's lack of eye contact also communicated that emotion clearly.

She had three more shots before her film was full, and she didn't have enough money to buy more for that moment.

"Smile, dear, it's your first day," Sumiko encouraged with a proud smile on her face. If she could get at least one smiling face, she would be satisfied. Just one picture to remember this moment. She also realized that, even if she didn't get a smiling picture, she had a picture. That's all she wanted. But, that didn't mean she wasn't going to try.

Ayame looked off to the side, her thoughts only on how her best friend wasn't with her.

Sumiko sighed and put away her camera. She walked over to her daughter who was stuck in her mind.

"Is it because Ryuji isn't here?" Sumiko asked, gently placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Ayame exhaled the breath she was holding. She didn't feel like talking. Over and over, she relived the moment when she missed the Tsume High entrance exam. How she got caught up listening to Honoka complain on the phone about her little brother using her shoes as a doorstop again among other inventive uses. How she should have cared more about the deadline to remember it. She could have been with him at Tsume High right now posing for pictures. She could have been wearing a red skirt instead of a grey one. She could have been happy.

Sumiko firmed her grip slightly on her daughter's shoulder. "You made a choice, Ayame," she said.

"No, I didn't," Ayame argued back. "I didn't make a choice. It was my only choice."

"It didn't have to be, but that's what it became," Sumiko explained, trying to look her daughter in the eye. She always wanted to be sure her daughter listened, but during discussions like this, she knew her daughter only heard her… and that wasn't good enough.

"Besides," Sumiko continued, taking a glance over her shoulder. "What would Honoka and Ellia think to see you sulking out here?"

"What would we think, I wonder?" a raspy voice came immediately after.

Ayame jumped in surprise to see her two friends eying her from over her mother's shoulders. "Eri! Honoka!"

"Don't tell me you're sulking over Dice Boy," Eri's raspy voice suggested, knowing very well she was right. Eri never liked how close she was with the obnoxious game inventor. If she was being honest, she never liked him. Too arrogant, too enabling. She saw him more as a ball and chain than a best friend. Eri shook her head disapprovingly, "Look at you, and on your first day of high school."

Honoka lightly slapped Eri's arm, earning a huff in response.

Ayame looked up at Eri, somewhat ashamed. She knew her friend was right, but… she just didn't understand their relationship, and she stood by that logic. Her full of holes logic.

Honoka clapped her hands together and gave a jog in place. "Let's take a picture!"

"Good call," Eri chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm. "As long as Ayame doesn't ruin it with her bad mood."

Sumiko gave Eri a stern look. Despite knowing how Eri felt about Ryuji, she felt it an inappropriate time for a lecture or an obvious show of dislike. Eri met her gaze, barely intimidated. Sumiko was strict, but not intimidating. Whether the woman liked it or not, she felt that she respected Ayame enough as a friend to be honest.

Honoka linked her arms with both her disappointed friend and her disapproving friend with the biggest smile on her face. Nothing was going to ruin her first day of high school, especially not with a fight between her two best friends.

So, she did what she does best: radiate positivity.

"Let's have the best year ever," Honoka cheered, squeezing their arms tighter to her body. "We're ready, Aunt Saki!"

Sumiko smiled and held her camera up to her eye, focused her lens, and counted down.

Three.

Two.

One.

Snap.

Ayame never realized how much that moment would mean to her, how much one photograph with her friends on the first day of a new year would mean to her, and how much of an integral part of her life Sumiko Hara was. Of course she was; that was her mother. It wasn't until Nozomi had Ayame's hands in hers that it hit her: this was all completely new.

Ayame smiled nervously at Nozomi. "Thank you for the confidence."

"Oh! Where are my manners," Nozomi gasped, letting go of Ayame's hands. "My name is Nozomi Tanaka, and these two," she nodded her head in the direction of her friends, "are my friends Yuko Yamamoto and Rei Shimabukuro."

The two friends bowed respectfully, and Ayame bowed back.

Nozomi smiled and took Ayame by the hand, "Let's head inside?"

Ayame looked to Bakura for an answer, but he just looked uncomfortable. He kept his eyes fixed on Ayame the whole time, observing the interaction. He knew Nozomi, and it worried him, but what was he going to do? _Nothing._ What was he willing to do? _Nothing._ What should he do? _Nothing._ He felt helpless. Nozomi has never done anything wrong by him, but being by her made him feel trapped, like a trophy on display. He was torn: the comfort of the case, or the desire to be free. Did he want to instigate a commotion, or did he want to keep it calm? _Calm, for now._ He relaxed his shoulders. _She has Yugi and everyone else. She'll be okay._

Bakura nodded in agreement, earning a smile in response from Ayame. She turned her head back to Nozomi, who smiled innocently, and it completely fooled the brunette.

"Let's go," Ayame replied.

* * *

"Oh, you're in 2-A," Nozomi exclaimed excitedly. "Your scores must have been high."

Ayame blushed slightly and shook her head, "They're not that high."

"You're modest, aren't you? I can see why Ryo likes you," Nozomi commented, now holding her hands behind her back. "He likes the modest ones. The boastful ones bother him."

Ayame gripped her leather school bag a little tighter. An immediate reaction, and one she didn't think of until she did it. Did anybody else notice? She fought the urge to look down at her hand, because if she looked, the others might too.

In the few minutes Ayame spent with Nozomi, she soon felt as uncomfortable as Bakura looked. She knew too much about him. She spoke too much about him. Ayame found herself scared for Bakura. How long has Nozomi been around him? How often is Nozomi around him? And, knowing this, should she continue to complacently accept how their relationship was? Was she okay with that?

Nozomi, privy to all subtleties, noticed.

"You seem tense," she started, "Is everything all right?"

Ayame's breath caught in her throat. "Just really nervous is all."

A dodge, and a reason for concern. Nozomi narrowed her eyes, analyzing the answer. As far as she was concerned, Ayame was hiding something, and that secret was a threat to her relationship with Bakura. Nozomi found herself wondering if it was worth developing a friendship with Ayame. Would the friendship keep this girl in check?

Nozomi stopped and turned, facing Ayame. "You really have nothing to worry about."

Ayame stopped. "I know, I just can't shake these jitters. I'm sorry, I'm embarrassed."

"Don't be," Nozomi encouraged.

Ayame sighed. "It's just… I'm not looking forward to starting again."

Nozomi smiled at the brunette. "Nothing wrong with that," she shared. "It might be for the best."

Ayame let out a single, dry laugh.

"You're really pessimistic," Nozomi stated, bluntly and at her patience's end. "You better not rub any of that onto Ryo."

Nozomi crossed her arms and shifted her weight onto one leg. Her amethyst eyes glared at Ayame's sapphires, disappointed now in his choice of friend. Her mind soon made a list of reasons Bakura could have walked with Ayame that morning, wondering if any of those chance meetings could equate to any semblance of friendship foundation. She wondered what it was about Ayame that appealed to him, and if that was a quality that she was missing. Perhaps he was unconsciously attracted to pessimism, or maybe he was just smitten by her beautiful blue eyes. To Nozomi, there had to be a reason, and she was going to find it. However, the question remained: was she still interested in Ayame's friendship?

Ayame, however, quickly became disenchanted with the idea of a friendship with Nozomi.

"You seem really concerned about Bakura," Ayame started. She opened her mouth to finish her statement, which would have come out as 'does he appreciate it.' She closed her mouth. She took a small breath in through her nose, breathing in a little deeper.

Nozomi crossed her arms across her chest. "I am."

"He's fortunate to have someone care so much," Ayame continued, her teeth clenching at the hypocrisy of her words. She didn't think he was fortunate.

"I love him," Nozomi stated, her facial expression and body language unchanging. Ayame's eyes widened slightly at the mention of love. The subtlety didn't faze the onyx-haired teen, nor did she care. She was just stating a fact. A truth. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for him."

"Remember that, Hirata," Nozomi uncrossed her arms.

"I'm sorry, but that sounded like a threat," Ayame returned, her arms now crossed over her chest and still holding on to her bag.

"Again, there's nothing I won't do for him," Nozomi repeated. "No threats, no promises, but it would be beneficial for us to be friends if you're going to be spending more time with him."

"So you can maintain control over him?"

"Control?" Nozomi scoffed. "That sounds abusive, don't you think?"

"Then what would you call it?"

"Looking out for his best interests," Nozomi started with a smile. "He's delicate, and quite popular. Many girls here at Domino are attracted to him, and poor Ryo can be overwhelmed by the attention."

Ayame scoffed. "So you micromanage him and all his interactions?"

Nozomi chuckled. "You like using big words, don't you?"

"Look," Nozomi continued, taking a few steps toward Ayame whose arms were still crossed over her pink blazer. "It's simple; watch yourself around Ryo, there are no problems and we're friends."

 _Friends_. The word scared Ayame more than it ever had in her life. She thought of the connotations of what the term 'friendship' meant to Nozomi Tanaka.

"I see you as my friend right now, because Bakura was smiling during your conversation on the way to school," Nozomi smiled, placing a hand on Ayame's shoulder. Ayame was sure she shuddered, at the very least in her mind. She prayed her body not betray her. Nozomi lifted her hand a few seconds later, her point made. It wasn't worth lingering any longer. "See you later."

With that, Nozomi walked away, her long, wavy black hair swaying with every step, leaving Ayame in the middle of an empty hallway in front of classroom 2-A. She looked up at the sign and then through the narrow glass on the door to see the class seated nicely and quietly.

She took a deep breath as she took a step closer to the door, and then another. One foot in front of the other. Her mother always told her that as long as she could do that, only then things would change. It did not come without effort. 'Raise your hand and knock, dear,' she could almost hear the woman whisper in her mind. 'Knock.'

One knock was all she could muster, but it was enough to get her homeroom instructor's attention. He walked to the door and slid it open, exposing her to the rest of the class. She bowed to him, "I'm Ayame Hirata."

"Please come in, Ms. Hirata," the instructor ushered her in, sliding the door closed behind her. "We were expecting you."

Ayame glanced at her class, hoping to see a familiar face, but she had no luck. The majority of the class had stern and serious looks. Their focus was directed entirely on her, observing her every movement and her every word. She remembered that Nozomi said the students in this class scored well on their entrance exams, and she could see it from their demeanor. She was intimidated, especially since her scores were on the cusp of 2-B.

Her attention fell on the one student who was disinterested in her. Rather, he was reading a book. She looked at him for a second longer, but the boy did not spare her a second's glance. It was a relief in an ocean of eyes.

"We have a new student," the instructor started. "Please introduce yourself."

Taking a chalk in her hand, she wrote her name on the board. She set the chalk back down, turned around, and put on a big smile. She was sure in that moment the smile was a bad idea considering her audience, but she went with it. She bowed, "I'm Ayame Hirata. Please take care of me."

She rose from her bow and turned her attention back to her instructor. "Please take your seat next to Seto Kaiba. Mr. Kaiba, please raise your hand."

She looked to the class to find no hands were raised, and no eyes turned toward a particular individual. The instructor sternly repeated, "Mr. Kaiba, please raise your hand."

Slowly, eyes turned toward the boy reading the book. Despite the attention, Seto Kaiba's focus did not leave his book, his facial expression stoic. He simply wasn't interested. There was no reason for him to be interested.

The instructor let out a sigh. "Please have a seat next to the young man with the book."

Ayame bowed slightly to her instructor and made her way to the desk, all eyes on her as she took her next ten steps. Every step she took toward Seto Kaiba was unsettling. She took her attention off the brunette boy and onto the empty desk next to him. After all, it was just a seat.

She pulled out the chair and situated herself. She took one more glance at the boy reading the book, which was in English. He never turned to see her, not even his eyes. She turned her attention to getting prepared for the next lesson. She pulled her pencil case from her bag and a small green notebook with green paper; both new purchases from her shopping adventure with Anzu. She took a quick glance at the door, wondering which class Anzu was in, or any of her new friends. She didn't think to ask Bakura too.

Not long after, the instructor began his lesson, drawing her immediate attention. She would find out during lunch.

"Let's start with a review of what we learned last week," the instructor began. "We left off with the chain of events leading to the Meiji Restoration."

Kaiba shifted his eyes up to look at the new girl, her presence as his neighbor now noted. He returned his attention to his novel, disinterested in both it and the current topic of discussion. Seven more hours of required school time, which translated to seven hours of half efficient brainstorming.

* * *

In one hour intervals, teachers came and left for Japanese history, general physics, and English language. All subjects were at a similar level and progression that Ayame had at Shogi High, which was a relief to her. Public schools across Japan must have operated on a similar curriculum. It was one of the few times she appreciated the uniformity of the education system.

She had her items put away in her bookbag. She let out a small sigh and looked back to Kaiba, who was again engrossed in his novel. His black notebook lay closed on his desk, being opened only a handful of times during the lessons before being promptly closed to return to his novel. He intrigued her. His actions tempted her to ask him his methods.

He noticed her stare in his peripheral.

"You're staring," he stated bluntly, not sparing her a single glance.

Taken aback by the sudden response, her eyes opened a little wider. "No," she responded quickly.

"Could have fooled me," he said, nonchalantly.

She narrowed her blue eyes. "Enjoy your lunch," she said as she pulled her lunchbox from her bag along with her utensils and a napkin. Ayame stood up and walked out of the classroom with haste. Part of her expected a retort from the boy, but was met with none. Part of her was curious to look back and see if he was looking. She entertained her curiosity and looked back at the door to see him not looking at all, which didn't surprise her either.

If she thought Jonouchi was arrogant, Kaiba had dethroned him. What she found to be even funnier was that she now saw Jonouchi and his friends to be a welcome reprieve from her eventful morning.

She started walking down the hall.

2-B.

She peaked quickly in the classroom and saw no familiar faces, but friends chatting quietly whilst eating their lunches. She continued down the hall where only two classrooms remained.

2-C.

She smiled. There they all were; Anzu, Jonouchi, Honda, and Yugi. She peaked her head in a little more to get a better look of everybody in the classroom. Her smile fell. Bakura wasn't there.

She thought to continue to 2-D to see if Bakura was there, but that thought was lost when Anzu's voice came calling for Ayame to come inside the classroom and eat with them. Ayame took one last look down the hallway in hopes that maybe he had just stepped out and that he belonged to 2-C and not any other room. How much better would it have been if they could all eat together.

Anzu called again, and she responded with a swift apology before going inside 2-C to eat with the group. She pulled up a chair and sat at where the group had two desks pushed together to create a table.

"So, how's your first day going so far, Ayame?" Yugi asked, eyes hopeful for a positive response.

Ayame smiled as she opened her lunch, her eyes avoiding contact. She didn't feel like discussing the negatives. Nozomi and her friends, Seto Kaiba… "It went well."

"Glad to hear," he responded with a smile, not that she was looking.

She opened her chopsticks and picked up a rolled egg, placing it promptly in her mouth. She let out an unintentional moan. She managed to make it just like her mother did, and it tasted of pure comfort up until she realized it tasted like the memory of the woman. The bitterness of the memory did nothing to dull the flavor of the food. They conflicted with each other, pulling her emotions in either way.

Honda let out a laugh. "She moans with food in her mouth like you, man!" he yelled at his blonde friend, not doing anything to hide his amusement.

Yugi made a motion to tell Honda to keep his voice down, but a louder voice beat him to the retort, resulting in him giving up and letting out a sigh in defeat. Another effort lost to prevent a more imposing intervention.

"You're just jealous that you can't enjoy food to that level!" Jonouchi retorted, mostly in his defense. He pulled out his take out a pork hash from a paper take-out bag and ate it in the most theatrical and obvious way. He chewed the food a few times before letting out a satisfied moan. He looked over at Ayame and winked. A light, embarrassed blush graced her cheekbones. It's not like she moaned every time she ate, did she?

"Oh gosh," Honda groaned.

Anzu shook her head. "Stop embarrassing her, guys."

"What?" Jonouchi asked. "Just looking out for a friend."

 _Friend_. There was that word again. It seemed to be thrown around very easily, but perhaps it was easy and she never made herself available to it. But, now, three people have called her a friend in a matter of a few days: Anzu, Nozomi, and now Jonouchi. Her heart sank at the thought of Nozomi calling her a friend.

Ayame picked up the next item, karaage chicken, and ate it. It was the same sense of nostalgia and comfort, but this time she actively suppressed any moans. Every chew tasted of her. The flavors tantalizing her taste bud brought back memories of cooking with her. The warm feeling when she swallowed filled her with similarly warm feelings for her. She found herself now fighting tears.

She was terrible at hiding it, and one fell into her rice.

Yugi's face dropped to that of concern. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked her, putting down his own chopsticks.

The group looked at her, noticing what Yugi did and their faces adopting a similar look.

"I wasn't trying to make fun of you," Honda explained, guilt dripping in his voice. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

"No," she stated, quickly. She had to stop the spiral of worry, which she knew would no quicker become a spiral of questions. "It's me."

"I just…" she started, making every effort to stop herself from bringing up that woman. "I'm sorry."

Anzu instinctively put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, you're with friends."

 _Friends._ The word never sounded so sweet as it did when Anzu said it just then. Ayame wiped her face with the sleeve of her jacket, the wool doing nothing to absorb her tears. Soon, her face was a mess of tears. At that moment, she sent up a little prayer thanking God for waterproof mascara.

She looked up to see all four of them smiling at her, and she smiled back.

"There's the smile!" Jonouchi cheered, earning a giggle from her.

"Oh boy, now she's giggling," Honda said, chuckling. "You broke her."

Yugi chuckled as well.

"Tch, broke her… I fixed her!" Jonouchi proclaimed, placing an arm around her shoulder.

"Dude, stop touching her," Honda groaned.

Jonouchi looked to Ayame, who was now beet red and eyes as wide as saucers. He lifted his arm from around her shoulder and apologized. She shook her head and let out another giggle, this time as a way to calm her nerves. She really wasn't used to being touched, especially since she was already embarrassed. Aside from Ryuji, Honoka, and Eri, nobody touched her, and it wasn't because nobody tried; she never allowed them the opportunity. After all, it was hard to get close to a girl who was always around a guy.

And yet, she still felt distant from the group. She wasn't integrated; she sat on the outskirts of a tight circle trying to look in. But there was a bright, empty spot; the spot they created for her. When she reached for it, there was a clear wall. She touched it, then she pushed it. They would reach out to her, touching her, but she could never pass the wall. They would grab her hand, and pull her. The wall blocked her once again. She turned away, all but giving up, but they never gave up on her. They sat on the other side of the wall, waiting, smiling. With her back against that wall, she felt them.

The reality of her situation came to light, and that despite being secretive, they never pushed her. At that moment, she thought perhaps she was more blessed than she acknowledged.

And it suddenly didn't make a single difference that Bakura wasn't there.

* * *

The bathroom was one of the few places in school that Ryo Bakura found solace. Not only was the bathroom on the fourth floor almost always empty, but it was one place where Nozomi and her friends couldn't follow. In fact, they were no longer allowed to linger near the boy's bathroom due to the headmaster's peeping tom accusation, which Nozomi feverently denied. He took a deep breath, held it for a second, and exhaled, shifting his weight to his hands that now used the sink for support. A million thoughts flowed haphazardly through his head, with his recent memory lapse being the biggest cause for concern.

He looked down to his uniform and placed a hand over his chest; the millenium necklace resting inconspicuously under the thick material. It brought comfort to the white-haired boy, a special memento of his archaeologist father. The gold felt cold on his skin, the edges of the ring were rounded and comfortable. The needles touched each other gently with his touch.

Occasionally, the ring felt warm; a phenomenon Bakura has yet to fully understand. One thing he knew for certain was that the warmth came with a foreign thought it a foreign voice. The voice was friendly, gentle, and convincing. At times, Bakura believed them to be his own thoughts, especially when the words seem so sweet.

The thoughts in his head at that time were no different.

"Ayame," the voice whispered quietly in his mind. His voice.

His thoughts raced back to that morning, to the visit and the walk to school. Emotions of anxiety and joy coursed through his veins, confusing his mind. Beads of sweat slowly crept from his pores, cold on his skin. Stress levels rose slowly, yet noticeably.

"She's nice, isn't she?" it whispered again.

"She is," Bakura whispered back, aloud.

The ring warmed up against his skin. It wasn't hot, never hot, but enough for the wearer to become aware of its presence. It was an ominous thing, the millenium ring, an enigma. It was consistent, yet not. Sometimes it speaks to him in a voice clearly not his own, and other times exactly like his own.

That's why he couldn't get rid of it. Perhaps it was always meant to be his.

The voice continued, "She's lonely too."

Sometimes it seemed like the ring had his best interests at heart, and other times he felt that the ring simply brought to light what he really wanted. However, most times, he wondered which were his interests and what were the ring's. Thus far, they were in his favor, so he never objected.

Bakura looked up to the mirror, his soft features were starting to look heavily burdened. His pale skin was slowly being deprived of its once vibrant glow.

His thoughts trailed to the morning visitor and her timid nature. She watched her every word, yet she was eager for answers. She was friendly despite his lack of answers. And yet, she too was lonely. The voice was right.

"I'm not lonely anymore," Bakura retorted, confidently, and he wasn't, at least not nearly as much as before. He had a life outside of his apartment. He visited Kame Shop to play games with his friends. He took leisure walks in the park, sometimes alone, but sometimes with Grandpa Muto. But, there were times...

The voice laughed, unconvinced, taking Bakura by surprise. He knew then it wasn't him sorting his thoughts. A chill went down his spine, and he gulped hard. He knew exactly who the voice was.

"You'll be less lonely with the girl around," the voice argued. "She will be too. It benefits you both."

"What is your benefit?" Bakura asked, all doubt shedded from him and all strength mustered. He looked up to the mirror to see the ring glow brighter under his uniform. Not a thought sooner, it materialized before his eyes. He was surprised, but he restrained making it known. He thought he was successful.

"Bravo," the spirit congratulated, his chuckles echoed circles around Bakura's head, causing the boy to search around him for the spirit's image. He would never find it, however, because he could never find it. Some chuckles were right in his ear, others were distant. Most were distorted, while a few were clear as day. It closed in on him, surrounding him, trapping him.

Bakura found himself pressured into a metaphorical corner, and torn between two thoughts: forced friendship or natural friendship. It made him think about the events of that morning. Ayame came to his unit at the behest of the spirit. The thought that it was him that controlled Bakura's actions that night made him feel insincere. Worse yet, the thought that said it was the spirit that Ayame enjoyed interacting with, not him, which stung the most.

Not him. His heart sank.

Emotions were never the spirit's strong suit, and with the flash of the millenium ring, that problem was solved.

Emotions were his host's weakness, as far as he was concerned. Emotions led to his host to make irrational decisions, especially ones that interfered with the spirit's mission; his reason for existing in this time on the mortal plane. He looked down to notice the ring returned to its original location under the coat jacket.

His host would feel better after a short rest.

The spirit checked the time on his host's watch. 3:10pm. _Excellent_.

Giving the mirror Bakura's signature innocent smile, the spirit approved of his charade and proceeded to exit the restroom. He needed a new plan, just in case Bakura remembered their interaction. Even if he did, he had a plan for that too. All plans led to the same goal, and the spirit of the ring knew best; all told plans are destined to fail.

When he exited the restroom, he made an immediate right with every intention of walking toward Ayame's classroom, but when he saw a certain raven-haired girl and her two followers, he knew plans were changing. Nozomi, ever sharp on her honing skills, saw him in an instant. Any plan he had for Ayame was now rescheduled, but maybe that wasn't a bad thing.

After all, every encounter was an opportunity. He smirked, very briefly, at the thought that crossed his mind.

"Ryo, you're finally out. I was worried about you," Nozomi stated, concern dripped from her voice. She looked him straight into his brown eyes, his host's brown eyes. Her deep purples expressed genuine worry, a look the spirit was accustomed to seeing from the girl. Love was such an exploitable emotion, and, frankly, the spirit was disappointed his host didn't take advantage of it. There was so much wasted opportunity.

Bakura smiled. "I apologize, that wasn't my intent."

"No! Never apologize!" she proclaimed. "You're fine!"

Bakura chuckled. _It would be too easy_.

"Ryo, could I talk to you?"

"What about?"

Nozomi bit her lip. She glanced back toward Yuko and Rei. Yuko gave her a silent fighting cheer. Rei, on the other hand, just nodded. With the approval of her two friends, she nodded to signal them that she was going to proceed.

Nozomi swallowed. "Ayame."

* * *

Ayame was ready to be finished with her first day five minutes before the bell rang at 3:00pm. She had all but her notebook packed away. Any remaining notes that needed to be made were going to be committed, to the best of her ability, to memory. It wasn't likely to happen, however, and she knew better. But once she noticed three minutes left of class, she wasn't concerned with anything else her instructor had to say. She wasn't concerned with the variety of clubs available at Domino High. She was only concerned with going home.

That, and Bakura.

And when the bell rang, she never stood up so quickly. After haphazardly shoving her notebook in her bag, she managed to only zip it up halfway before resigning to the fact that the adrenaline coursing through her was going to impede any fine motor skills she knew she had. In less than half a minute, she was out the door without a plan of which direction she would go first. Any reactions fell on deaf ears.

She let her impulse lead her.

Ryuji would be laughing right now.

Ayame brushed past many students callously, though she did manage a small "pardon" every so often. Manners weren't important, departure was. With that mission in mind, she made it to the front gate faster than some of the students on lower levels. She should have been proud, but once she reached the exterior wall of the school, she felt nothing but stress and exhaustion. The potential consequences of her choice flooded her mind.

What did her instructor think of her hasty departure? That may lead to some questions.

What if she missed out of her opportunity to join clubs? She could find out tomorrow.

What if her friends were looking for her? They'll be okay.

Her heart sank as the next question slowly marqueed through her mind.

What if Bakura was looking for her?

She didn't know why it affected her. Logically, it shouldn't have. They never made plans to meet after school. They barely spoke after entering school, but that may have been-no, that was completely because of Nozomi. Really, there was no reason for Ayame to wonder about the white-haired boy looking for her.

If Ryuji had been there, he would have set her straight. He'd have let her know that she was starting to act like a groupie. He would have...

She knew she had to stop herself, because he wasn't there. He was almost 500 kilometers away. He wouldn't be for long, but in her current reality, her harsh reality, he wasn't there, and she had to accept it. She didn't want to, but what would he tell her?

 _You have to, or you'll crumble._

Maybe returning to her new friends wouldn't be such a bad thing. He wouldn't want her to be lonely because of him. Oh, the things he'd say if he found out she was moping on his account. Eri would probably hit her, too.

She decided to find her friends.

When she turned the corner, she immediately changed her mind. It was embarrassing that all it took was the sight of Nozomi and Bakura to break her resolve and change her mind. Now she was hearing her mother telling her that she should never let someone else dictate her decisions. Sumiko's voice in her head made her stomach turn, but had yet to lead her astray.

She sighed, cold sweat now beading on her forehead from self-induced stress. She turned heel and walked toward the train station. Just for today, she wouldn't listen to her mother. Sumiko probably didn't understand the need for a reprieve from being strong, but Ayame was sure that the woman would have understood if she explained her reasoning.

She briskly walked away from the school. "Don't look back," she whispered to herself, continuing her pace. Maybe she'll find a coffee shop on the way back to the apartment. God knew how great a frappuccino sounded right then.

Ayame's new mission: get coffee.

Satisfied with the plan, she smiled and beelined for the train station.

But, if she did look back, she would have noticed that Bakura and Nozomi saw her hurry off. She would have seen the satisfied look on Nozomi's face. She would have seen the blank expression on Bakura's face. What she wouldn't have seen was the cogs turning in their heads, making plans and plotting schemes for reasons completely different from each other.

They, too, continued their way to the train station, with a certain brunette girl on both their minds.

She would never have guessed that she'd be so popular.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Is it bad that I kind-of-sort-of love cliches? They can sometimes be so much fun to play with, though they're not everyones cup of tea. There's this fine line between complete cliche where you close your tab out of boredom/irritation, and absolutely loving the juicy (somewhat predictable) drama.

I hope you're all staying safe and healthy. Don't forget to check in on your loved ones.


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